The Woy Woy Community Garden

March 06, 2015

Three years ago I saw a small block of waste land at the end of Moana Street in Woy Woy with nothing growing upon it of note except for a few large Australian bush trees in one corner and I listened to the spoken vision of my friend Jill to turn this space into a community garden.

Initial garden site view

Initial site view

This space now at the end of three years is a proud example of great gardening from a community of dedicated people all inspired by the vision to create a public growing space that everyone in the community can use and enjoy.

There are herbs, fruit trees and various vegetables all sharing this community garden space along with compost bins full of worms, scarecrows, toys for the children to play with and a fantastic mural on the garden wall.

I was told by Jill that initially a garden site plan was designed and then various stages of that plan have been implemented as the garden has developed over the three years since I last visited. The group applied for some funding from the local Woy Woy Council which they received and that has helped with the purchase of materials to construct beds such as the Herb Spiral and construct some of the pathways that weave through the garden.

Construction of the herb spiral garden

Children helping to build the herb spiral garden

On the day that I visited there was blue sky and sunshine along with various visitors passing through admiring what has been created there. We met a woman from Sydney walking her dog. She was in the area visiting a good friend. She told us that she could sew and promised to make a pretty hat for one of the scarecrows.

The scarecrow needing a hat

Then a man came into the garden with two other people and proceeded to walk around the herb spiral pointing out its various plants and explaining the garden-the funny thing I was told quietly by my friend was that he had never actually worked in the garden but obviously because he lives in the area he enjoys looking at what has been created there and wants to share this environment with friends.

The herb spiral overflowing

Individual members of the community garden group have picked up thrown away items found on the side of the road that have then been recycled into useful items for the garden such as bins to hold compost, containers for plants or even colourful toys for the many children who visit the garden to play with.

There is even a giant checker board for those who wish to partake in a garden game.

Compost bins to feed the plants

Jill and the garden shed mural

As a visitor to this place I felt the within the garden the love and energy from the community effort that has obviously taken place here in the past three years because it is so evident at every point as I walked about the space.

A raised bed garden for growing vegetables

The biodiversity of plant species and the attractiveness of the environment must be a blessing to all the houses near by whose land value would surely have increased through having such a

beautiful community space right next door.

pathways going through the garden

A view of the garden now

The fact that not just locals enjoy walking through the garden and that anyone can come and help themselves to the produce that is growing is a clear demonstration to Councils everywhere that maybe all public spaces, including parks, should be full of fruit trees,culinary herbs and vegetables for people to use and enjoy.

A local mens group provides some expertise with building and completing tasks that require specific materials, tools, skill and guidance. However what also clearly shows in what has been created here is the talent, expertise, energy and the effort of some dedicated and caring members of a small community. People power indeed!!!!

This community garden is fantastic. I was inspired. I loved seeing what has been created there in such a short time frame to improve an area of public owned space- a piece of land that had been previously neglected by the local council and left to be used as a poor looking walkway between streets, an under-utilized and wasted public space.

This garden should be seen as an inspiration for other communities in cities and towns to come together and put pressure on their local council to better utilize the publicly neglected spaces that can be seen everywhere attracting vandalism. Gardens like this could flourish everywhere.