Gardening

In Grey Lynn we have 3 community gardens and many people who garden in their backyard.

Grey Lynn 2030 has an active gardening group who are looking at producing your own food from your home garden of public land. Urban Food Production is a modern name for it. In our group, people exchange seedlings and eventually surplus produce.

Our biggest project is the beginning on the  Wilton St Community Garden

We have a fantastic resource – the land. There is plenty to do to develop this into a lovely and sustainable community garden and we would welcome any keen people experienced gardeners or not, who’d like to join in.

Background

Wilton St Community GardenThe garden is on privately owned land, consisting of two combined sites, belonging to the Gypsy Tea Room and the Wine Vault.

The site was previously a very overgrown ‘vacant lot’ with a bad jasmine infestation.

So far work on the garden has consisted mainly of weed clearance and rubbish removal, which has been carried out by a handful of enthusiastic locals, mostly neighbours from Wilton Street.

Plan

Our plan is to grow herbs, pickable fruit and vegetables and maybe have a compost unit for local people to bring their compostable waste to.

We only have certainty of a medium term tenure estimated at 3-5 years minimum.   We have made the decision to develop the garden as much possible using locally sourced recycled materials.  We are hoping to get unwanted plants and materials from the local community, garden centres and businesses.

The site already has an existing fig tree, nasturtiums, some old roses (including one covered in rosehips) and a bay tree.  We have recently planted a lemon and bananas salvaged from a nearby site being bulldozed for redevelopment.  One shady corner of the site is fenced off with trellis and has existing native plants and trees.  We plan to have this as quiet amenity garden, with the balance of the site – the sunny area, used for growing fruit and vegetables.

We have a regular working bee on the site – every Sunday morning from 9 – 12

As the garden becomes established, gardeners can work in and use the garden at any time.

Short term jobs

Materials we require (recycled is fine)

March 2010 update

Our big news is that the community garden now has a water supply!
John Watson and Brenda came up with the idea and donated the funds for a
special ‘gizmo’ that has been inserted into the storm water downpipe on the
roof of the Gypsy Tea Room.  This gizmo diverts the rain water from the
spouting into an ordinary garden hose which goes into the water tank on
site.

John has installed the gizmo and it is working.  We are now working with
Tanks Alot to adapt the tanks they donated to the new system.

Thanks to Brett from the Gypsy Tea Room, Tanks Alot and John & Brenda we
now have a sustainable and affordable solution to our water woes. Now all we
need is some decent rain!

You can check out the Garden at a special tour as part of the Grey Lynn 2030 Week. Come along 11am – midday on Sunday 21st March to meet the Gardeners. The Garden will be open for a visit on the night of the West Lynn Street Party and the meeting point for the Walking Tour of Back gardens with chooks at 10am on Saturday 27th March.

September 2009 update

The Wilton St Community Garden Fence is now completed and it looks stunning!
A fence was badly needed for the community garden as people were still parking on the land. The garden is immediately behind the Gypsy Tea Rooms so on a busy night some vacant land looked tempting. Also the land had become a popular dog toilet.
Urgent action was required as this is all very disheartening for the gardeners.
So a b;uilder was found, materials donated (thanks to The Wine Vault) and work commenced.
The marvellous builders also repaired trellis and hung gate.  The builder, Murray Watt has done a lovely job. Please recommend him to your friends.
Grey Lynn 2030 have funded the labour for the fence from the money we made from our “Age of Stupid”  movie night. The rest of the money has been used for the banner and signage we are using at the Farmers Market and other events.
The new picket fence
Also local shops Monterey and Savour and Devour are now keen to donate their kitchen waste to the Wilton St Community Garden.
Depending on how much they produce our next job will be to expand our composting system.
Anyone able to do any watering please do so especially those living in wilton street as the new plants will appreciate it.
Please call in and see the garden or even better come along to our working bee on Sundays 2-4. Every weekend.
Mandy
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