Growing together in the 'hood

The value of community gardens has become so widely recognised they're popping up everywhere. Photos / Getty Images

It's not just the carrots, peas and spuds that flourish in community gardens. Relationships between neighbours who probably wouldn't normally do much more than nod at each other are blossoming as they plant seeds, weed and mulch alongside each other in gardens available to everyone.

Though these shared gardens might have started off a couple of decades back as often ad-hoc, random ventures set up by small groups of green-fingered community-minded folk, their value has become so widely recognised they're popping up everywhere.

"Often they are secret treasures tucked away," says Julia Oceanchild, the co-ordinator of a relatively new community garden in Auckland's Symonds St.

"But they are there for everyone and can have a great impact on the local community."

There are many different ways community gardens can work, says Julia, who has also been associated with the long-established Kelmarna Gardens in Ponsonby.

"There are some with individual English-style allotments but there seem to be more that have a communal garden everyone works on.

"You might turn up for a couple of hours every week, do some work in the garden and in return you can take some of the produce."

Some gardens also sell some of the veges they grow, with the money going back into funding the garden.

Many are on council land - quite a few started life as an empty bit of grass alongside a community centre or other public facility - while others are on private sites that have been gifted or loaned.

The Symonds St Junction Community Garden, for example, is on land owned by Auckland Transport that was originally earmarked as a possible rail station for the City Light Rail but had sat vacant for over a decade.

Community gardening is a greater leveler, says Julia.

"You can end up with people from all backgrounds getting together, and in the garden you are all on the same level. They're a great place to build friendships with people you probably wouldn't speak to otherwise."

Being involved with a community garden has excellent health benefits. Five years ago a group of students from the University of Otago's Department of Public Health carried out research into the impact of community gardening.

They found the benefits not only included improved nutrition and access to fruit and vegetables, but people who took part did more physical activity, built stronger communities and experience enhanced mental and spiritual health.

Julia agrees that spending time outdoors doing something productive like gardening is important for mental wellbeing.

"Now that so many more apartments are being built it's really important to have that green space.

"There are also health benefits because most gardens are organic, so you are getting more nutrients. And the food tastes so much better.

"Plus they're good for the environment. There's no carbon footprint and no packaging. At Symonds St, we are happy to take green waste from neighbouring apartments."

Not all community gardens grow fruit and vegetables. Lyn Barnes established a community garden on empty council land next to her Kingsland home and because the soil was not suitable for produce she put in wildflowers and native trees and shrubs to attract butterflies.

She set up The Bright Side Charitable Trust to maintain the garden, as well as painting a concrete flyover wall across the street with a huge butterfly mural, and earlier this year the trust's efforts to boost our dwindling butterfly population were recognised with an award from the Moth and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust.

It is the first urban site to be recognised as a butterfly habitat.

"We hold working bees and we've had workshops on composting and collecting water," says Lyn.

"Even though people in the neighbourhood have gardens of their own they still like to come by and be involved. It's brought people together who had lived near each other but didn't know one another. I think it is proof of why we need community gardens of all types."

Edible gardens are being included in some new residential developments as developers recognise how they can help bring residents together.

Andrew Lamont, developer of Fabric of Onehunga says there was room for a sixth building on the site where his company is constructing five apartment buildings, but they deliberately left space for a pocket park, edible gardens and fruit trees.

"When you're living in an apartment, it is nice to feel that you have a big shared back garden," Andrew says.

The community gardens at Kensington Park, a housing development on the site of a former campground in Orewa, were one of the reasons why the homes there appealed to Rob Small, the former head of the Auckland Regional Parks service.

A lifelong gardening enthusiast with a degree in horticulture, he was pleased to see that vege gardens were available to all the residents.

Each resident can apply for their own 3 x 2m plot in the garden and those who've taken advantage of the offer include experienced gardeners like Rob, who is now the community gardens co-ordinator, through to people who've never grown produce before.

"Aside from the benefits of being able to have your own fresh produce, the garden does a great job of bringing the community together," Rob says.

"It becomes a very positive and social experience. People are always sharing knowledge - you just start chatting over the lettuce and the magic begins."