A MEMORIAL garden space at the former Bembridge Golf Course, Somerville is having a “sunflower spectacle” to promote its green credentials and honour a friend.
The concept of paying for a plant or tree to be planted in honour of a loved one, with ashes treated and made environmentally safe, is relatively new to Australia. But the owners of Mornington Green, Luke Roberts and Rob Amro, say the uptake has been great since opening in 2022.
The green wedge zoned land was a market garden before becoming a golf course in 1995. Roberts said the idea for memorial gardens came to him after feeling devastated after the death of his best friend. “I just felt lost and didn’t know how to grieve,” he said.
The immersive sunflower experience gives visitors an opportunity to see more than 120,000 flowers in full bloom.
Guests are invited to take part in activities, exploration and picnics. Roberts said Mornington Green wanted to partner with a non-for-profit but was yet to find the right fit. “This event is dedicated to one of our business partners whose daughter sadly passed away at the age of 10 late last year in a tragic accident,” he said. “ Sunflowers only bloom for four weeks and this is a tribute to her short but beautiful life.”
First published in the Mornington News – 9th April 2024
