Community Garden Upgrade
Community Garden Upgrade
How a Work For The Dole Team has reinvigorated Wellington's Community Garden
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LLCI006-002
The issue
Wellington's Community Garden at the Scout Hall had been languishing for eighteen months after a flurry of activity to install the Rainbow Serpent Path and prepare for the Bush Tucker beds. After the heat and wet of the following few seasons, a Work for the Dole crew assembled to pull it back into shape.
The solution
Preparatory weeding, mowing, construction of compost bins, bee hotels and bat boxes, plus the resurrection of the raised beds for planting the spring veggies and the bee-flower reserve to feed the occupants of the hives that appeared there, have rejuvenated the whole area and sparked more interest from the community to join in.
There are plans for education workshops on topics such as moon-gardening, bee-keeping, preserving, bottling and jam-making, weed control and compost making.
The impact
The Work for the Dole team have between them planted more than forty trees and shrubs, done a weed survey, built gardens beds, (more to come!), assembled beehives, constructed the first of their compost bins from old pallets and if they can lay their hands on more pallets, there are plans to build garden furniture and who knows what else may be created as the weeks go by.
This has renewed interest in the Community Garden, and attracted further funding from the Work for the Dole program to renew the fencing, construct and fill raised beds, build the Bush Tucker Totem beds and plant with the bush tucker, and control weeds.
Key facts
- Rejuvenation of the Community Garden to act as a community hub.
- The energy and activity stimulated interest and respect from the community.
- Skills and morale improved for all participants.