The Sisters of The Good Shepherd - Memorial Garden
Boroondara Cemetery - Kew, Melbourne
This perennial flower garden is a memorial to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd buried together here. Created with young adults to develop confidence and skills in basic horticulture, it was started in September 2017 and continues in 2025. In 2018 this project won an industry award for Innovation and is a collaboration between Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Burke and Beyond, Kew Cemetery Trust, Michael Tanner, Rachel Stephenson, Su Laird, and Helen Page.
A challenging site due to the disturbed and compacted clay soils, we initially added newspaper, compost and mulch to improve the soil and increase the water holding capacity. Drought hardy perennials and ornamental grasses were selected to withstand the typically dry Victorian summer. These plantings add height, movement and interest and are relatively low maintenance, an essential factor for the site.
