Community
13 March, 2026
Fun lessons in making wicking beds
CULTIVATING Carers is a new carer support group with a kitchen, garden and wellbeing theme.
In partnership with Warrnambool Community Garden the program formed late 2025 and hosts free fortnightly sessions for unpaid carers at West Warrnambool Neighbourhood House in Pecten Avenue Park.
Last Thursday the group hosted the “Making a Wicking Bed” workshop with Rob Porter from the Warrnambool Community Garden providing invaluable advice and hands on help.
Carers were shown how to build a wicking bed from the ground up.
A wicking bed is a self-watering raised garden bed that features a water reservoir at its base, allowing moisture to rise into the soil.
The timber for the wicking bed was salvaged and repurposed from raised beds made over seven years ago by West Warrnambool Neighbourhood House in partnership with Brauer College.
They were previously located out front of Beamish Street Kindergarten; with a light sand and lick of paint they’ve been given a new lease of life.
The new wicking bed now forms part of two other raised beds located at West Warrnambool Neighbourhood House.
Plantings include herbs and vegetables and once established can be used by the community to create a healthy meal.
“Carers give so much when caring for a family member or friend, the Cultivating Carers program is a space where they are allowed time to care for themselves,” Cultivating Carers’ Project Manager, Brenda O’Connor said
“We are grateful for sponsorship from Backyard Sand & Soil who donated the screening (gravel) and Pontings Mitre 10 for a great discount on gardening equipment and soil to fill the wicking bed. This support helps nurture carers and in turn nurture entire communities.”
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to family members and/or friends with a disability, mental illness, substance addiction, chronic health issue or an older person with care needs.
“In Victoria alone there are over 750,000 carers who provide unpaid care and support to family or friends, with 26 per cent of those carers living in outer regional or rural areas.
Cultivating Carers is a recipient of the Connecting Carers in their Community Small Grants program, which awarded 28 grants of between $15,000 and $25,000 to assist with activities that strengthen the local and social connection of unpaid carers.
The grant program is funded by the Victorian Government and administered by Carers Victoria.
