‘Rani’s patch’ and multicultural food garden

Rani and her neighbourhood of wonderful gardeners have transformed the once barren treeless bike path south of Batman Station into a lush garden known as ‘Rani’s Patch’. Part of the Upfield urban forest, edibles and non-edibles are woven together to create a scented, colourful vista of vegetation. Riders and walkers can even stop and read a book from Rani’s library.

The tour also includes Rani’s home food garden which is no less inspiring. Her love of cooking from many cultures including traditional Bangladeshi dishes is reflected in the diverse range of vegetables and herbs she grows. Indian spinach (‘puisak’), bitter gourd (‘korolla’), and thistle grow alongside kaffir lime, turnip, kale, eggplant, persimmon, pomegranate and nectarine. Children at Rani’s day care centre grow food too, helping them learn where food comes from and how it is used in different cultures.