It is well documented that community gardens provide: Social support and social skills; a sense of achievement; decreased stress and pain; better diet and lifestyle; a greater sense of security; happiness; and enhanced self-esteem. Our garden will provide inclusive, healthy passive recreation for our community. It will bring together people from all walks of life, backgrounds and ages to foster a lively and connected community.

Community groups with a shared passion for fresh organic produce work together to learn and share knowledge of growing food, help reduce family food budgets and provide opportunities for exercise, recreation and learning, as well as spaces for contemplation and relaxation.

Whilst gardening is the focus, community gardens are generally community hubs for a range of activities – learning and education, playgroups, arts and creative activities, preparing and sharing food, community events, celebrations and social enterprise.

Our garden will incorporate permaculture principles. Permaculture points the way to living sustainably in our environment showing waste minimisation, composting and water usage techniques that can be used by people in their own homes. Another way to think about it is as a closed loop system where all the needs of that system are met within the system—one where your resources come from wastes, and your wastes turn into resources. If you know the principle behind a terrarium, a mostly self-sufficient system where the plants live in a glass container with minimal care from the outside, you have the very basic understanding of permaculture for your garden.

2024 Update - Stage One Completion of Major Earthworks and Raised Beds

Anyone who volunteers will know how hard it is to coordinate and allow a lot of time for the completion of any major project. In a new garden such as we are also at the mercy of the weather, summer or winter. Yet we are please to announce that NPCG has completed stage one of the site development with the main earthworks and site drainage systems in place. There are now defined spaces for the roll-though pad packed down and ready for the concreting and construction of the gazebo. The utilities area designated for the composting and greenhouse have been levelled and gravelled, making it the ideal place for these important features for the garden users. The site has been graded to allow for adequate drainage and this has been attractively arranged into winter catchment, with large blue chip and well placed logs, making it ideal for nature play. A small retaining wall has been placed into position to define our native food garden which will require excellent drainage and full sun when planted.

We were very pleased to receive a $500.00 donation from the Onkaparinga Lions Club. This donation went to the purchase of eight raised beds (fibreglass pipe offcuts) for the both the CPCC and the Memorial garden at the Hall. While they are not quite in place yet or filled with soil, we hope that task will be completed in October, in time for our Memorial Day 10th November. We are also very grateful to:

• Kym Juers who arranged purchase and drove all the way to Cape Jervis to pick them up

• Matt Dunn who assisted us in placing them on site

• Anna Kakoschke for applying the sealant around the tops of the beds to protect from splinters, and

• Our anonymous donor who donated funds for some extra fibreglass pipe offcuts.

• Jeff Langbein for the earthworks

Once filled they will make such a difference for our gardeners particularly those with some kneeling or back immobility. It will also keep those pesky rabbits out of the veggies!

Wet Area Installation

Thanks very much to Barry Hall for installing the old sink from the Storage Room into the garden. He has done a fantastic job making the stand from scratch and plumbing it all up too. It will be a great place to pot up plants, wash hands and fill the kettle for a well deserved cup of tea!

Grants

We were not successful for a grant application for the Gazebo, but we will be trying again soon and hope that this time next year, we will be celebrating underneath its shady canopy. We have included a mock up photo below as our vision of the what the gazebo area will be like. Cross fingers!

Newman Park Community Garden is a sub-committee of the Charleston Community Centre.

The Garden has an open policy and members are free to come and go to work on various garden projects as required

NPCG committee meets 4th Sunday 9.30 - 12.00 depending on weather and activity.

Contact Veronica Forsayeth charlestoncommunitycentre@outlook.com for more information