Our Climate Ready Garden and Welcome Circle were completed in 2022.  Designed by local landscape designers Louise Costa and Melissa Stagg, the mounded gardens create a private space for gatherings.  Inspired by a seed collecting visit to a northern Victorian reserve, Mel and Cath fell in love with the patchwork of saltbush species.  These tough little plants need minimal water to look great right through summer.  We hope they inspire gardeners to look beyond the average planting combination and adapt their gardens to hot, dry conditions.

Rushworth locals Lou Costa and Les Pelle designed, built and installed the fabulous sculpture work of the Climate Garden.  Taking inspiration from our wetlands and cumbungi on the dam, we enter the Welcome Circle through a fish trap and find ourselves in an underwater pool surrounded by cumbungi and shady lily pads, (you need a little imagination!)  Materials have been sourced and scrounged from various metal recyclers – including some VicRoads pylons and signs – a nice link back to our VicRoads heritage!

Lou worked with Aunty Joanne Honeysett, Taungurung elder, to create the first ceremonial circle on Taungurung Country.  The space welcomes everyone to country.  As tempting as it seems, its not a sand pit!  We love hosting Taungurung tours in our Welcome Circle and look forward to the day when we can host ceremonial dances.  Take your shoes off and connect to country in the circle.  Take a moment to be still and absorb the sound of the birds.

The beautiful picnic tables and chairs have been made by local Hugh Salmon.  Grey Box cut when the Hume Freeway bypass was built had been saved and stored.  Hugh has used these raw timbers and turned them into a great picnic space. 

Finally, artist and graphic designer Janet Fogarty has developed the signs for the Climate Garden.  Janet has been with the Arboretum since its inception in 1993 and we are delighted and grateful that she continues to add her drawings and great design skill. 

We hope you love our Climate Ready Garden and Welcome Circle as much as we do!