Apartment rooftops, public housing plots and church grounds across the city are being turned into green oases thanks to a community gardening initiative.
The project, which was launched four years ago, sees the City of Sydney offer grants of up to $10,000 to green-fingered groups.
“Reaping fresh food is just one of the benefits of creating a garden, but building community ties and getting to know your neighbours are just as important,” says Lord Mayor Clover Moore.“We support these groups because they create resilient communities, help people learn about sustainable food production and promote healthy living.
”The City imposes no rules on what gardeners should plant but encourages the principles of permaculture and organic gardening.
One of the initiative's most successful gardens has been in Ultimo, where the local community has come together to learn more about the origins of food and sustainable living.
“It’s really important people understand where their food comes from and realise that it doesn’t appear instantaneously,” says Ultimo resident Pauline van Winsen.
“If it stops people from buying stuff and chucking it away when it rots in their fridge, then that’s a good thing. If it makes people hug their farmers a bit more, then that’s good too.”
The community gardening project has even seen local cafes donate their coffee grounds and vegetable scraps as compost to gardening groups.
