Community and Council Working Together for Food Growing Initiatives

Joynton Park edible community, garden patch. Gadigal Ave, Zetland, Sydney, Australia - near the undercover BBQ area

This is a good news update, regarding the community garden patch at Joynton Park, Zetland, Sydney, Australia (food growing patch).

You may recall that the garden patch had deteriorated to the point of needing to be replaced.

The Parks Department of the City of Sydney came to the Green Square Growers rescue, by recently carriering out some urgent repairs.

A large piece of formply has been attached to the front of the garden patch.  This repair isn’t a permanent solution but will give GSG approximately 12 months before we will have to replace the garden bed.

Within this 12 months time the Green Square Growers will:

* update / replace and potentially extend other garden beds, that GSG has installed in the area.
* replace the garden bed mentioned above and potentially extend it.
* continually work alongside City Council, local residents and all those who are keen to help.  For the community and by the community!

An Inclusive, Always Opened Community Garden in Sydney

Over three years ago, a small but inspired group of Green Square locals, had a vision – install tiny community garden patches throughout the Green Square area of Sydney.

As one of the co-founders of ‘The Green Square Growers‘, we rebelled against the idea of having a traditionally fenced community garden.  For us it was paramount that our community garden patches were inclusive and accessible to anyone, anytime – no fence, gates or restrictive membership.

Last Saturday, The Green Square Growers gathered to give one of our patches some care and love.

Personally what I most love about the garden patches, is we don’t know all who care and use them. Sit for awhile near one of the patches, on a weekend or even after work hours.  Eventually you will encounter a ‘phantom’ local gardener.  They plant, pick, harvest, water and enjoy their local garden patch in their own time and in their own way – planting, picking, harvesting, watering and caring.

On Saturday, I watched from a distance as a young family gathered around the garden patch, just after The Green Square Growers left.  They have never attended a Green Square Growers gathering and probably have never engaged on our Facebook page but to me they are the reason our inclusive vision has been successful.

Quietly and respectively I listened as the family explored the garden patch together.  “What’s that Dad?” asks the youngest child. “Tomatoes and I think that’s rosemary….try some mint”.

The conversation and interaction with the garden patch warmed my heart.