In the bucolic heartland of Blackwood, where verdant landscapes paint the canvas of rural life, lies a hidden gem known as The Garden of St Erth - a 160-year-old stone cottage which has become home to a celebrated garden and Diggers Club shop.

Julian Blackhirst, the Head Gardener, serves as maestro, orchestrating a symphony of flora and fauna that captivates the senses and nourishes the soul.

As he reminisces about his journey, Blackhirst shares a glimpse into his childhood dreams, "When I was a child, like between five and ten, I always wanted to be a market gardener," he muses, his voice tinged with nostalgia.

Yet fate had different plans, leading him down the corridors of academia to study the intricacies of politics and economics. It wasn't until his late twenties that the call of the soil enticed him once more, “Then in my teens I read a book called, ‘How to Grow More Vegetables: Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine.’ It's like, very, very intensive food gardening.”

He was guided to cultivate his own patch of paradise in Trentham and was quickly offered a gig at the Garden of St Erth - a tenure that has spanned fifteen years and counting.

Describing the garden as a living tapestry, Blackhirst paints a vivid portrait of its ever-evolving beauty. "Garden of St Erth is a working garden so you can always see what we're working on," he explains.

"It's got a very secret garden type of feel," he adds, recounting his initial bewilderment amidst its labyrinthine pathways. Blackhirst's favourite corners are the vegetable and fruit patches, where the bounty of the earth springs forth in a kaleidoscope of colours and flavours. "My favourite corner is the food gardens," he confesses, his reverence for organic gardening palpable in every word.

For Blackhirst, the food garden is more than just a patch of soil; it's a testament to his ethos of sustainability and stewardship. "It's partly a political thing," he opines, his words echoing with conviction. "It's an act of environmentalism."

As he reflects on his legacy, Blackhirst's gaze turns towards the future, where the seeds of his labour continue to bear fruit. "The food garden is probably what my legacy here will be," he muses.

In the tranquil embrace of The Garden of St Erth, Julian Blackhirst stands as a custodian of nature's bounty, weaving a tapestry of beauty and sustainability that tells a story resonating far beyond the garden's borders.

And for those embarking on their own gardening journey, Blackhirst offers a nugget of wisdom gleaned from a lifetime spent tending to the soil. He advises, "One piece of advice for people wanting to get into gardening; visit large gardens but keep a small one."

The Garden of St Erth

Part of Diggers Club

diggers.com.au 189 Simmons Reef Rd Blackwood VIC 3458