Reimagining the Herb Maze at Fetherston Gardens: Session One - Preparation

Landcare ACT's Women in Nature program invites you to connect with and care for nature through WELLSPRING - a series of nature connection activities set to run weekly throughout the spring season (Sept/Oct/Nov) including guided walks, talks, nature-based art sessions, and hands-on conservation activities. This series will run alongside the Canberra Festival of Nature, this year's theme being Glorious Grasslands.

Landcare ACT's Women in Nature program welcomes all women, including those who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary. The program celebrates women actively caring for nature across the Canberra region, whilst inspiring others to engage in citizen science and environmental stewardship.

Over the past few years, Landcare ACT has held many nature connection walks within the Fetherston Gardens grounds. It's a peaceful, restorative space full of winding paths and quiet places to pause. 

The herb maze is one site within the gardens in need of some TLC. Now 40 years old, the maze was originally designed and constructed by staff and students of CIT School of Horticulture Weston, and is comprised of various brick types, styles and designs and set out in a semi-circle arrangement. Originally a Rose garden was attached there. The cut brick edged paths wind around in a formal manner and then divided into small individual sections, for planting of various herb types. The herb garden planting currently consists of a Rosemary hedge semi-circular border. The other herb types in the garden are both medicinal and culinary, perennial plants being the mainstay and annual herbs added seasonally. Some interesting herbs are Costmary, a reminder of toothpaste; tarragon, oregano, thyme, chives, lavender, yarrow, mugwort and many others. The garden is also very sensory, the visual brick patterns, the plants enabling touch and the sense of smell when leaves are crushed, enhance the space and experience. 

As part Landcare ACT's Women in Nature Program, we're looking for helping hands to inject some new life back to the herb maze. The rejuvenation effort will take place over two sessions: 

SESSION 1 - PREPARATION (Wednesday 11 September 10am - 12pm)

• Hedging back the Rosemary and other permanent shrubs
• Weeding areas, fertilizing and application of mulch.
• Removal of spreading mugwort and retaining it within its allocated space.
• Removal of old lavender bushes
  

SESSION 2 - PLANTING (Wednesday 2 October 10am - 12pm)

• Replanting annual season herbs such as Basil, Coriander and semi annual sages.
  
• Dividing plants and replanting thymes, marjoram, oregano.
• Replacing expired plants with new

All equipment and plants will be provided - you may wish to bring your own gardening gloves. 
We will pause for nature connection activities and over a hearty morning tea!
Wear enclosed shoes, and long pants/sleeves. Dress for the weather conditions and be sunwise. Bring a water bottle to keep hydrated. 

Visit the Landcare ACT Humanitix page for more information on events in the WELLSPRING series. With support from ACTEWAGL's Community Grants Program, registration is FREE!