An area of cracked concrete, assorted weeds and scraggly bushes at Ardeer’s Mother of God Primary School has been transformed into a discovery garden, complete with lizard lounge and a wooden fort.
The outdoor learning space was developed after the school received a $20,000 federal government grant, with Fraser MP Daniel Mulino officially opening the garden last week.
Principal Assunta Iacovino said the school contributed $30,000 to the project.
The garden incorporates ideas from Mother of God pupils, with the lizard lounge a hit amongst the kids and a blue tongue lizard taking up residence.
The sandpit is an overwhelming favourite of the prep, grade 1 and grade 2 pupils.
Mr Mulino said the makeover was one of the most dramatic before and after scenes he had witnessed.
Garden designer Joanna Temme said Indigenous plants local to the area abound, with the rainbow garden taking the water overflow from the roof.
The garden also feature a community garden where purple cauliflower, snow peas, lettuce, kale, and broad beans are grown, along with fig, loquat and mandarin trees and mulberry bushes,
“Everything grown in the garden is either cooked by the students in class or distributed to the local community. The hot chillies and the herbs including coriander have been used to cook traditional dishes from the school’s Eritrean and South Sudanese community,” Ms Temme said.
