By Philip English
AUCKLAND - Plants growing in an organic garden in an inner-city park have been destroyed, upsetting the gardeners who have spent years tending their plots.
Over the past five weeks nursery cuttings have been pulled out and trees broken and cut down in the St Benedict's Community Gardens in
Basque Park, a quiet, green haven formed off Exmouth St in Newton with fill from the Aotea Centre site.
In August the Auckland City Council decided to keep the park intact rather than sell off a portion and now its future is to be decided following consultation between the council and the Friends of Basque Park and St Benedict's groups.
Bianca Forster, of the garden group, said the 25 or so members had no idea who was responsible for the attacks and wanted locals to report any suspicious behaviour in the park.
She said the police and council had been told but she still felt helpless.
"I can't stay there 24 hours. I feel like there is more to it than somebody cutting down trees and that somebody is trying to destroy my motivation ... I don't feel angry. I feel more sad than angry."
She said the garden contained vegetables, flowers, herbs, native plants "and weeds, of course" but its future was not absolutely certain because of the upcoming redesign of the park.
"If the city decides we have to move we will accept this, but until then we would like to continue in harmony and not wonder what will be next.
"We hope to stay. We hope the design will include us, although the size, look and layout of the garden may be different."
