Community Gardens in the Marrickville Area

There are currently four established Community Gardens in the Marrickville area:

• Marrickville West Community Garden
• Food Forest, Addison Road Centre
• Wilkins School Community Garden
• Lewisham School Community Garden

A proposed community garden in the grounds of the All Saints Church in Petersham received a $5,000 grant from Marrickville Council in November 2008 under the Community Grants scheme.

Marrickville West Community Garden 

1 / 7 Henson Street, Marrickville 2204 (Marrickville West Public School grounds)

A community garden was created in 2006 through Councils Citizens for Sustainability community funding project with the aim of maintaining a sustainable garden through crop rotation, companion planting and integrated pest management and increasing garden membership. The garden has both individual and communal plots where members grow organic vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Success of the Garden:

• Retaining and improving an open green space
• Planting companion plants has encouraged and increased population of beneficial insects into the garden
• All green waste is composed on site
• Garden members bring their home green waste to compost
• Newspaper and cardboard (used) is used under mulch as degradable weed mat
• Exclusive use of organic fertilisers and pest control has minimised pollution caused during any run-off
• Use of mulch and compost has effectively reduced any water run-off
• Use of compost and mulch on communal beds has considerably reduced water usage
• Watering restrictions strictly adhered to and newly installed water tank to be used on restricted days when necessar
• Garden shed has been erected for tool and seed storage plus an aerobin composter established.
• Membership has increased since the secure fence was erected

Marrickville West Community Garden also provides a forum for environmental education. Monthly workshops and meetings are held to share information regarding the garden and a sustainable future by learning how to grow vegetables and fruit in a sustainable way. This has promoted ecologically sustainable practices, and increased community participation in environmental programs. Garden members have visited other community gardens.

If you would like to join the garden committee, please contact:

• Helen Stavely, ph: 9558 2410
  Stavely1@optusnet.com.au
   

Food Forest 

Situated just behind Hut 36. Addison Road Centre (ARC), 142 Addison Rd Marrickville 2204

The current ARC Community Garden has been going since May 07. The group has been working towards:

• Clearing and re-establishing overgrown garden beds
• Maintaining existing plants and trees
• Creating accessible paths where possible (ongoing)
• Mulching and planting new plots
• Propagating and planting seedlings/Seed collecting (ongoing)

Highlights for 2007 were:

• A new garden shed built by ARC Ground Staff;
• Citizens for Sustainability Grant from Marrickville Council brought some much needed gardening equipment and tools and compost stations for the Centre;
• A healthy population of Frogs are thriving in the various ponds; and
• Water tanks have been installed and now full of water ready to be initiated into irrigation system.

The volunteers receive support from Centre management however the philosophy and overall planning has been developed and determined within the group. It's very much a community garden with plenty of sharing info and every one pitching in. After three months commitment there is opportunity to prepare and care for your own plot if you wish. As the group is relatively new and still growing there is opportunities for new project developments that fit within the overall philosophy.

Natural sustainable processes are always used within the garden such as, companion planting and recycling of organic matter. No chemicals, insecticides or pesticides are used.

Volunteers are still needed. The regular gardeners meet every Sunday, but there is   a working bee on the second Sunday of the month for those that are not able to commit every week.  These are also a good opportunity for new comers to join the group or just have a look and a chat.  

For more info please contact:

• ARC main office: 95697056
• Bassam Allamedine, ph: 0409257196
• Natalie McCarthy, ph: 0401309119
  nataliered74@aol.com

Wilkins School Community Garden 

Park Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

Wilkins Green began in 2004 as part of the Marrickville Council Belonging Project, to protect and develop the existing wildlife habitat in this busy urban space. It is a collaborative effort of the students, teachers, families, friends and volunteers of Wilkins Public school, Globe Wilkins Preschool, Petersham TAFE Outreach and local communities. It is managed by the Wilkins Green Committee caretakers.

It has become an important sustainable learning site featuring a community food garden, chicken run, bush regeneration ridge and Aboriginal planting track. Wilkins Green was the recipient of an Our Place Financial Assistance Grant in 2007 which was used to help establish the chicken run.

Wilkins Green recently won the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Garden Challenge, schools division, and was runner up in the National Landcare awards. Anyone who would like to help create a healthy, sustainable environment is welcome to get involved. Green fingers not necessary!

We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the Cadigal Wangal people of the Eora nation.

For information on opening times or workshops please contact Leonie McNamara on 0419 699 193 or email info@wilkinsgreen.org.
 

Lewisham School Community Garden 

The Lewisham School and Community Garden received support from the Our Place Financial Assistance Program in 2007. The funds were used to create new garden beds and purchase gardening tools and equipment for the students.

The students planted the garden with herbs and vegetables. The idea behind this garden is to give students hands on experience with gardening, which they may not have opportunity to do at home. It will be used as a whole class teaching experience in which students participate in the planting, weeding and caring for the garden and then get to use what they grow in a cooking class.

Lewisham also intends that the garden can be accessed by the wider community that already use the school including the Good Beginnings program, Dept. of Education and Training Arts Unit, which uses the school and other weekend users.

Lewisham Public has developed a School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) which states in their Mission Statement that 'the school grounds be used for a variety of educational and community initiatives and that it is crucial to work together towards environmental awareness and develop programmes that lead to a more sustainable culture'.

Lewisham has begun an Environment Club which meets at lunch time and caries out projects such as designing posters to display in classrooms to raise environmental awareness on issues of energy and waste. The club members have begun composting and carry out work in the vegetable garden.