A secluded corner of Tauranga will soon be transformed into a community garden buzzing with people planting and tending their vegetable plots.
Let's Get Growing has secured enough land on the council-owned Otumoetai Railway Reserve to construct 60 raised plots, each measuring 4.5m by 1.5m.
Anyone interested in the project and securing one of the plots is invited to meet the promoters of the community garden on-site next Wednesday from 4.30pm to 6pm.
The group has worked with the council for five months to bring the idea to fruition.
Let's Get Growing spokeswoman Anne Gourley said the garden will occupy a section of the reserve, near the Cherrywood/Matua roundabout.
Inspiration for the community garden came from Mrs Gourley seeing the English communal allotments during her years of overseas travel.
"We were really charmed by them." She liked how people felt comfortable in the allotments, no matter what walk of life they came from.
Mrs Gourley said people only needed to bring their enthusiasm because basic gardening skills could be passed on by the "amazing team" in Let's Get Growing.
The self-confessed gardening novice said she was motivated by healthy eating and the potential of community gardens to build community spirit. Her long-term goal was to set up gardens in other areas of Tauranga.
"It is like going back to older values, but not being old fashioned to do it."
The garden will be a lot tidier than how most people perceived community gardens: "We want it looking nice - even a bit trendy."
One of the first jobs will be doing up the old shed and she would like to see gardens opened on Easter Weekend.
Let's Get Growing tapped into the structures of the Mount Mosaic Church in order to give the project more clout and make much quicker progress than if it had to become a fully constituted organisation in its own right.
However, she said that Let's Get Growing was a non-church group.
People will be asked to pay a very modest monthly rental for each plot in the community garden, receiving a plot that was fully prepared and ready for planting out. The deal included irrigation.
Mrs Gourley said the amount will depend on how much sponsorship they secured. Although it would still be needs-based, people valued something more if they had to pay for it.
Organisations like the Tauranga Budget Advisory Service and Foodbank are supporting the project. The gardens would help people get out of the hand-out dependency habit.
The gardens will not be wholly organic, allowing more natural sprays along with encouraging plot holders to try alternatives like rhubarb spray.
Shared garden idea brought to fruition
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