Harvest Studio & The Botanical Cemetery, McLaren Vale inc. The Culture Garden Community Garden

Wander through the oldest cemetery (1841) in the township, being transformed into a public garden, with areas of planting linking with eras of settlement of the area (native, colonial, Mediterranean, etc.). The Culture Garden community garden is a placemaking project regenerating this State Heritage site, including the first church in the town (now housing a botanical studio specialising in the use of local materials, led by artist Hope Lovelock Deane). The site (including an active cemetery specialising in natural burials) is a privately owned public place and Hope, the owner, caretaker and current Curator, has family connections going back eight generations. See the Harvest studio website for more information, including workshops and tours. Look out for seasonal activations and installations around the site, and a moongarden section of plantings coming soon (with subtle night lighting). You are welcome to book a guided tour of The Botanical Cemetery, community garden & Harvest Studio. And soon, take a self-guided audio tour highlighting some of the interesting stories of the town settlers buried in the cemetery. Records from the laying of the foundation stone for the chapel note Aboriginals attending the service. We are working on an interpretative project with the local Miyurna custodian, for our site to also tell the story of the areas around McLaren Vale and how they were used, before European settlement.