During the Castlemaine Festival of Gardens (October 29 – November 6) the Friends of Red Cross Castlemaine have teamed with local gardener Mary Stuart to hold a special fundraiser to support the people of Ukraine.
Friends of Red Cross Castlemaine member Sue Tribe said they knew that the flood response is front of mind for many people at the moment, but this fundraiser was organised some months ago.
“The war in Ukraine continues and we aim to offer support to those suffering through this terrible crisis,” she said.
“Of course, you can also support the Red Cross flood appeal if you wish via the website.”
Friends of Red Cross volunteers will be manning the table at Mary Stuart’s gorgeous Britton Street garden ‘Tranquillo’ for much of the festival, with funds raised going to support the people of Ukraine through the Red Cross Ukrainian Project.
‘Tranquillo’ means tranquil in Italian. Mary has had a long affinity with Italy having visited many times.
She has spent the last 40-plus years developing the garden.
“I’ve constructed the garden to recreate memories of happy holidays in Italy, with a highlight being the tromp l’oeil landscape on one of the garden buildings painted by local artist Lois Callister,” Mary said.
“Most of the metalwork throughout the garden has been made by Paul Hosmer and the space also features local stone.”
The garden is extensive, set out in a series of separate spaces, with gateways from one area to another, and many nooks for sitting and relaxing. It is also a haven for a wide variety of birds.
Be sure to pay a visit to Tranquillo at 23 Britton Street, Castlemaine and show your support for this important cause. The garden will be open from 11am-4pm daily during the festival.
