We’re the Haines family (I’m Malcolm – with the beanie) and the folks behind Ligaya Garden. Ligaya Garden is a cosy spot in Gawler South, nestled in Kaurna Country in South Australia. Gawler is just about an hour’s drive north of Adelaide and is the perfect start for exploring the stunning Barossa Valley.
We want to take this chance to honour the traditional landowners in this area, the Kaurna people. Like the rest of Australia, their land and traditions were never ceded. We hope we treat the land with the respect and love they did in the past and fight to do so again.
Jelina
Artist and scholar in residence
Jelina (now Dr Jelina) hails from the Leyte in the provincial Philippines and brings her love of traditional living and food to our home here in Gawler.
Marlon
Cook and carer, artist and designer.
Marlon takes care of me at Ligaya Garden and helps with my long-term health issues. He loves cooking and creating manga and anime-style art. His delicious meals make the neighbours jealous.
Alan
Hardware and building supervisor, gardener.
Alan is my Dad, which makes him Marlon’s Grandpa and Jelina’s Father-in-law. Athena likes him, too!
Meet and greeter, security guard, work supervisor and technical advisor, newsletter author. Athena is our fun-loving poo machine who keeps us joyous while making sure that we don’t have too much food lying around the house.
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Let’s go, let us guide you through Ligaya Garden…
The garden’s vibrant and diverse flora welcomed you with open arms, each flower and fruit tree weaving a tapestry of colour and life. As we stroll along the front garden’s winding pathways, the gentle rustling of leaves and the aroma of the soil will lift our spirits and ground us into the present moment.
Every corner of Ligaya Garden exuded a sense of harmony and balance, a testament to the nurturing care and dedication of the Haines family. From the meticulously tended vegetable patches to the wild, untamed pockets of greenery, there is a profound sense of interconnectedness and reciprocity. Every plant, the creatures (including the elusive blue-tongued lizard family), the chickens, the quill, the worms and, of course, Athena played a crucial role in Ligaya’s macro ecosystem, contributing to the overall splendour of the garden.
As you go through the garden, you can observe the intricate dance of butterflies among the blossoms and the industrious buzzing of bees. Ligaya Garden is not simply a space of leisure and enjoyment but a living, breathing entity in its own right. The sustainability ethos and reverence for nature pulsed through every leaf and petal, inspiring us to reflect on our relationship with the environment and the profound impact of small, mindful actions.
Ligaya Garden 