Gardening together at IRT Woodlands Retirement Village

IRT Woodlands residents have been collaborating to successfully install four age-friendly garden beds in the community’s garden.

Retirement Village Manager Vangie Weir says the garden beds have curved corners, a low-maintenance structure and reduce the need for bending as they are raised, which is ideal for residents.

“Ross and Graeme from Green Zeen came up with this great design, which they have named The Woodlands after us,” Vangie says.

“I spoke to Green Zeen about what we needed and we were the first retirement village to have the beds installed.”

Green Zeen co-founder Ross Richardson set up the company with his business partner Graeme Rickards in 2017. Ross and Graeme live in Buderim and manufacture their garden beds in Dulong, in the hills behind Nambour. They make the garden beds on an as needs basis.

“I’ve been a carer of my 90-year-old father for the past five years and he’s a keen gardener and he’s got two of our raised garden beds in his backyard,” Ross says.

The garden bed design includes a wicking bed – which waters the plants from below.

IRT Woodlands resident and garden club member Anne Boss says the raised garden beds save a lot of bending, and the self-watering system works well too. 

The community’s gardening club has eight members and they sell their produce to residents using an honesty box system. “You make a gold coin donation and pick a few things.”

To keep the garden well maintained, two of the garden club members are rostered on a month and look after planting, weeding and seed collection. “We also have members who propagate plants,” Anne says.

“Residents from the aged care centre come and sit under the pergola and enjoy the garden too.”

Sadly, the garden club lost one of its key members, Rudi Maiwald, in recent times.

“Rudi contributed considerably to the success of the garden and we are looking at putting a plaque in remembrance of him on one of the benches,” Vangie says.