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A garden where friendships grow

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It’s a garden where memories are kept alive and community spirit blooms.

Knox Community Gardens has about 150 plots that all tell a story, says committee member John Faulkner.

“We have a number of people where this is their only opportunity to grow anything because they live in units or high-rise flats,” he says. 

“It’s also an opportunity for people to hold memories. We’ve got three sisters whose mother had a plot and they used to come up and support her in her declining health. When she died, they’ve kept her plot but taken up other plots as well and the three sisters garden together in memory of their mother.

“We’ve got another member who had nowhere to keep the plants from her parents’ home. She was able to bring some of the plants from their home and keep them growing here when the family home was sold.”

Council took over management of the Boronia site in 1981 and the gardens were established a few years later. Council recently provided a grant towards a new inbuilt barbecue for their community outdoor cooking area.

John is behind a new Wednesday morning tea for the broader community to introduce more people to the gardens.

“We have such a fabulous site here that has so much to offer and it’s not easily available to the community,” he says. “So, we just wanted to be able to have it open more often so people can wander in and have a look around. It’s also an opportunity to have a cup of tea and perhaps meet some of your neighbours or others about and have a natter.

“It’s a great place for wellbeing. Just being here and enjoying the environment in addition to spending time with interesting people.” 

Rhonda and Colin Newberry have lived near the gardens since the 1970s and are regular visitors although they don’t have a plot.

“It’s just a lovely place, looking at the mountains and gardens and meeting people and saying hello,” Rhonda says. “Often, we share veggies — if they have too many of something they share it — and have a cup of coffee.”

There are plans to establish a sensory garden and indigenous food garden for groups to attend. Committee members currently share the gardens with local community groups, including Rotary Boronia, Villa Maria Catholic Homes and Knoxbrooke Disability Services. They participate in a healthy eating program run by EACH community health service for local primary schools, and turn food scraps from Knox Infolink emergency relief service into compost. Tours and events are also held for community groups such as Gardens for Harvest, U3A and Knox Talking Cafe.

Knox Community Gardens is at 51 Kleinert Road, Boronia. Everyone is invited to the Wednesday morning tea from 10am–noon. Find out more: knoxcommunitygardens.org.au

 

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