Join gardeners from across the Gardenstead community for a late-winter gathering hosted by Tiziana and Charles on Phillip Island.

Tiziana shares, "We had been searching for a while when we instantly fell in love with this historic property and its crumbling chicory kiln. One of the many kilns dotted across Phillip Island, it is a reminder of the island's rich agricultural heritage and gives our garden a wonderful sense of history. Caring for this place has become an ever-evolving project that unfolds slowly, but never without its pleasures and surprises. Our garden is very much a shared project. Tiziana looks after the productive areas — the fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers — while Charles cares for the overall garden and its structure. Our original raised vegetable beds were very productive, but we are now thinking of replacing them with another system. After years of possum damage, our enclosed fruit trees are finally thriving. Along the way, we have also discovered a love of growing flowers, native and exotic, which bring us endless joy. We hope our garden provides food for us and habitat for native wildlife. By planting a diverse mix of species, avoiding herbicides, reusing our existing soil, and choosing climate-suitable plants, we're creating a resilient, living garden for the future."

This is a rare chance to visit a private garden that carries a piece of Phillip Island's agricultural history, and to meet kindred growers in person.

This event is for Gardenstead members only. If you are not yet part of the community, you can join today and come along.
Download the Gardenstead app and become a member to book your ticket.

What to expect:
You will step into a beautiful private garden in late winter and be welcomed into a relaxed, friendly space to connect, share and learn.

• A warm welcome and introduction to the garden, its setting and story, hosted by Tiziana and Charles

• Time to meet Tiziana, Charles, and other Gardenstead members, swap ideas and ask questions

• A community plant, seed and produce swap for those who wish to take part

• Morning tea

• A chance to take in the garden and its wider Phillip Island setting

You will leave with new connections, new seeds or cuttings if you choose to swap, and fresh energy for the season ahead.

What is included:

• Entry to Tiziana and Charles's garden for the Gardenstead August Gathering

• Morning tea and simple seasonal refreshments

• Hosted community time for conversation, knowledge sharing and the seed, plant and produce swap

What to bring:

• Optional seeds, cuttings, a small plant or homegrown produce to swap, clearly labelled

• A small bag or container to take swapped items home

• Warm layers and weather-ready clothing — Phillip Island in August can be windy and cold, so bring more than you think you'll need

• Appropriate footwear for garden paths and uneven ground

Who this is for:
Gardenstead members who want to meet locally, share knowledge, and be inspired by a garden built with patience, ecology and a real sense of place. All experience levels are welcome.

How to attend:

1. Join Gardenstead.

2. Download the Gardenstead app.

3. Purchase your ticket here.

4. Bring proof of membership on the day in the app.

5. The exact address will be shared with ticket holders in the week before the event.

Important
Tickets are limited. This is a Gardenstead members only event.

About Natasha:
Natasha Morgan is a landscape architect, educator and community builder based in Daylesford, Victoria. She has contributed to significant public realm projects and taught at RMIT and the University of Melbourne. In 2014 she created Oak and Monkey Puzzle in Spargo Creek and now continues her work at Little Cottage on a Hill, a 515 square metre site where she translates large scale design thinking into a compact, abundant garden. Natasha shares her practice through workshops, writing and collaborations, and is the Community Manager of Gardenstead, a growing international platform that connects people who grow, design and live with plants and place.

About the Garden:
Tiziana (@tiziana_regina on Instagram, @tizianaregina on Gardenstead) and Charles are the custodians of a historic Phillip Island property centred on a crumbling chicory kiln — one of the stone kilns that once processed a crop the island was famous for, and still recognisable in pockets of the landscape today. Around this piece of local history they are building a garden together with a clear division: Tiziana tends the productive layers, and Charles cares for the wider structure and character of the place. Their approach is patient and considered — diverse species, no herbicides, existing soil put back to work, climate-suitable plants chosen for the years ahead. The garden is designed to feed them and to offer refuge to native wildlife, and it is still evolving, season by season. In August you will meet a garden in late winter, before the productive push of spring, when its bones are visible and its history sits close to the surface.