Rooted in Our Community: Southern Plants and the Frankston Dolphins
From local schools to sporting clubs, Southern Plants regularly donates plants and time to community projects. Our partnership with the Frankston Dolphins is one we hold close, and one where we rolled up our sleeves and planted the garden ourselves.
Plants have a way of bringing people together. A new garden bed outside a school, a few trees at a kindergarten, a fresh entrance for a local club: small projects like these change how a place feels, and they give people a reason to gather.
That's why giving plants to community causes is something Southern Plants does often, and quietly. Over the years we've donated plants to schools, clubs, charities and local groups, because we've seen what a bit of green can do for the people who use a space every day.
One partnership we hold especially close is with the Frankston Dolphins.
The Frankston Football Club has been part of life in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula for more than 130 years. Generations of local families have stood on the hill at Frankston Park, and on a Saturday night under the lights the club brings the whole community together.
It hasn't always been easy. In 2016 the club faced serious financial trouble and lost its place in the VFL. The community rallied around it, and the Dolphins fought their way back into the competition. Since then they've rebuilt on and off the field, with big home crowds and some strong finals campaigns.
Frankston is also one of the few standalone clubs in the VFL, not tied to an AFL team's reserves. That gives local players a real stage to develop and be noticed, and several have gone on to be drafted to the AFL. Just as importantly, the club looks after its people off the field too, through mentoring and wellbeing programs that help players balance football with work, study and life.
That focus on wellbeing is exactly why this partnership makes sense to us.
Southern Plants is a sponsor of the Dolphins, but we wanted to give more than a logo on a sign. So we donated the plants for the club's entrance, and as a family who love gardening, we went down and planted them ourselves. It was a few hours of digging and watering alongside people who care about the club as much as we do, and it was one of the most rewarding days we've had in a long time.
A football club and a nursery might seem like an unlikely pair, but we believe in the same things. Both bring people outdoors. Both build connection, pride and a sense of belonging. Both are good for body and mind. A strong local club keeps a community healthy, and so does a good garden.
Now, every time supporters walk through the gates, they'll walk past something we grew and planted together.
Do you have a community project?
If you're part of a school, club, kindergarten or local group with a garden project in mind, we'd love to hear about it. Get in touch with our team through our contact page and tell us what you're planning.
Growing community. Growing confidence.