Upcoming open garden: Fetherston Gardens
                            
Since its official opening in late 2010, Fetherston Gardens in Weston has nurtured a community-minded focus, connecting with organisations such as Mirinjani Hostel in Weston, local schools and other community groups.
 
Volunteer coordinators of Fetherston Gardens Friends Pauline and Leslie, are focused on succession planting and continuity to maintain the 1970s integrity of the 3.5 hectare gardens. Leslie’s philosophy ‘without people there is no garden’, and, ‘volunteers before park care’, engenders a sense of inclusion and freedom at Fetherston Gardens, for all its visitors.
 
Fetherston Gardens, formerly CIT School of Horticulture, includes an arboretum, impressive avenue of espaliered fruit trees, renovated pond & wisteria-laden pergola, and many other features too numerous to mention. The grounds are dotted with established trees and countless species of shrubs, groundcovers & herbaceous perennials.
 
The native garden is coming into its own and includes a lovely stand of Melaleuca incana ‘Sea Mist’. M. incana ‘Sea Mist’ is a beautiful shrub to around 1.2 metres tall and 1.5 metres wide. It has delicate semi-weeping foliage which is blue-green in colour, and produces sprays of creamy-yellow flowers in spring. Although the tips of this beautiful shrub can be effected by heavy frost, this otherwise hardy shrub grows well in more protected positions in Canberra gardens, such as dapple shade.
 
Recently, the herb garden, which was planted in the 1980s, was ‘uncovered’, with turf being removed from its surface by hand.  Amongst the many herbs growing in the garden are the not so common Hyssop, Mugwort, Costmary, and Lady’s Bedstraw (used back in the day as bed stuffing).
 
A relatively new addition is the Gallipoli Garden, which was established in 2016 and showcases 5 plants of the time including: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Gallipoli Rose (Cistus salviifolius), Gallipoli Oak (Quercus coccifera ssp. calliprinos), The Lone Pine (Pinus halapensis), and Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo).
 
Fetherston Gardens are now watered by automatic irrigation from a 360 kilolitre tank and also mains supply. No additional fertilisers are added, with regular top ups of mulch and leaf litter supplying ample nutrition for plant health.
 
Fetherston Gardens is holding an open day during April including guided tours at 11am and 1pm, a large plant store, a coffee cart and a kid’s garden activity tent.
 
When: Sunday 15 April 10am – 3pm.
Where: Fetherston Place Weston ACT.
Cost: This is a free event.
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http://opengardenscanberra.org.au/event/fetherston-gardens/; https://www.facebook.com/Fetherston-Gardens-Friends-238860092838124/. 
 
www.environment.act.gov.au/parks-conservation/parks-and-reserves/find-a-park/urban-parks/fetherston-gardens.

Recently renovated pond at the gardens, a favoured place for children in particular.

The recently re-discovered herb garden at Fetherston Gardens, which was lying dormant under turf for some years.

One of the many serene outlooks at the gardens, perfect for a summer picnic.