MANY hands make light work is the call out to the community from a small group of likeminded Tarrington locals who aim to beautify the Tarrington Community Garden.

Located on the Hamilton Highway directly opposite St Michael’s Lutheran Church in Tarrington, the garden is currently in a state of disrepair, but two locals have big plans to resurrect the garden.

Dawn Burford said she and her husband Rex have only been in the township for a little over a year.

“I’m not originally from Tarrington - we came for holiday and bought a house,” she said.

“It’s a lovely community.

“I went to a community event down at the Tarrington Oval and I met someone who was looking for volunteers for the community garden.”

“The garden was in disrepair, so I volunteered.

“I love gardens, and there was only a couple of wattle trees and lots of gravel in the community garden and nothing much else except a little shed at the back.

“We have visions for making a better garden.

“I initially started doing it by myself and propagated some plants.

“My husband, Rex Burford, is doing a lot of the manual work.”

Mrs Burford has partnered with another longtime local, Maree Kim-Taylor and together have a shared desire to resurrect the garden.

Ms Kim-Taylor’s family were winners in the annual Tarrington Hay Bale Art Competition (last Christmas) in the Best Use of Recycled Material category and kindly donated their hay bale horse and cart to the garden.

Mrs Burford also said the Tarrington Lutheran School donated their Hay Bale Art, a koala, and have it perched on an old log on site.

 “We don’t want to make it modernistic,” she said.

“We’re trying to create a very rustic environment - something that’s all very natural and inviting.”

Mrs Burford said there had already been a lot of community support through donations.

“Prestonholme Nurseries have donated soil and seedlings,” she said.

“Mark Tonissen, another local - has been involved - he donated a load of soil and Grampians Garden Supplies has also donated some soil.

“But we need more.”

Mrs Burford said there were plans to make a shelter at the garden and that they needed more plants to have the garden ready in time for a spring launch.

“We want to have a lot of flowers and herbs and edible things - passion fruit that sort of thing.

“We want people to know we’re resurrecting the garden - the garden is happening (but) the task is getting money. We have organised a garage sale trail that is happening this Saturday in Tarrington.

“Come and join us - it’s early stages at the moment, but it’s all done by asking people.”