MANSFIELD Garden Club is already planning ahead for big birthday celebrations when the 60th anniversary of the founding of the club will be held in 2024.

As part of this planning club members are intending to completely renovate the cottage garden behind Buckland House – which used to be called the Bentley House and Garden.

For 35 years the Garden Club has maintained this garden with renovations taking place a few years back turning it into a 'sensory garden' which was aimed at helping dementia patients maintain their memories.

Betty Conabere designed the original garden which was then planted with a variety of roses, geums, campanulas, francoa, hellebores after many original plants, most were donated or grown from cuttings from community members.

A letter from Mrs Conabere said: 'This story began on a warm summer day in the early 1980s and probably wouldn't have happened without some of Marie Martin's generosity.'

From there the design of the garden came to fruition – and although originally the hospital board turned down the idea, one member, Sarah Stegley, said yes.

"Betty, I support your idea because many of the patients (at the hospital and in Bentley) are women and it (the garden) will be run by women", Ms Stegley said.

And it seems that over the years, although the club has had many male helpers, the majority of the work is done by women.

From the Garden Club came members who formed the Bentley Cottage Garden Committee, who in turn asked Shirley White to be a consultant to them.

In a book celebrating 20 years of care of the garden by club members titled 'The Flowering of an Idea', Mrs White said: "I hope the Bentley Cottage Garden at Buckland House will successfully continue as a celebration of love, friendship, forgiveness, generosity and the will to survive."

The funding appeal for the garden was partially funded with a grant from Dame Elizabeth Murdoch who at the appeal launch for the proposed Bentley Cottage Garden said; "People will gain great strength, comfort and serenity from a garden of this nature."

Prior to the idea of establishing a garden on this site the block was used as a 'rubbish dumping' ground.

The garden was established by the Mansfield community and endorsed by Dame Elizabeth who praised the community for being "forward looking and humanitarian".

That was around 1986, and now it is time to re–think another makeover for this much loved and used garden.

However, there are some major points to be considered, such as the widening of access points so that the larger wheel chairs can negotiate entrance for patients who are almost bed bound but still enjoy being in a garden.

Of course to do the renovations funds have to be sought.

Starting off an appeal has been a grant from the Bendigo Bank which will enable the commencement of the refurbishment of a section of this garden to provide the much needed easier access for residents.

And more recently the garden club held an open day which saw more than 300 visitors to two district gardens – part of the funds raised will go towards this project.

Although the work put into maintaining the cottage garden is done by volunteers, funds are always required to purchase replacement flowering plants and even some trees at times.

The Garden club celebrated 50 years in 2014 and now almost 10 years on will plan even bigger and better celebrations for October 2024.