With the size of house blocks becomming smaller and smaller by the decade and communities drifting further and further apart a community garden is an ideal antidote.Coordinator Geoff Holland with the rest of the team has created a social, learning interactive enviroment for all involved in the only community garden in cairns. When I was there I noticed a lot of kids around the place somehow bathing in the warmth generated be the garden.
Each member or family are allocated an automaticall irrigated plot to cultivate.The produce is theirs for the taking. There are some communal plots, and lots of sharing and exchanging of information, skills and techniques.
There is also two orchards of fruit trees maintained by the group including a wide variety of fruit like bananna, dragon fruit, jaboticaba, lemon, orange, to name a few. The permaculture Cairns group built a bananna circle in the gardens. there is also a tool shed, compost bin, worm farm, frog pond and potting shed. The kids had some geat fun discovering the resident green frogs that have made the gardens their home amomgst the tall grasses.
The group is funded by a grant from the council and voluntary contribuions and donations from members, the members also sell potted plants.
If you'd like to join the garden and cultivate your own plot Geoff would love to hear from you.
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