Docklands Community Garden celebrates 15 years

The Docklands Community Garden will host a major fundraising event at its Geographe St home on Saturday, March 16 to celebrate its latest milestone: its 15th birthday.

The garden’s lead volunteer Greg Wise, who has been involved in the initiative since its inception in 2009, said all Docklanders were welcome to attend the celebration and support its efforts.

The event will provide locals with an opportunity to connect with volunteers and find out more about how one can volunteer and support, as well as to do a bit of gardening and maintenance on the day itself. A sausage sizzle will also be held, with all proceeds going towards helping maintain the garden.

The community garden is 100 per cent funded by money that is raised by the community garden volunteer group, which Mr Wise proudly boasted consisted of more than 200 members.

However, following a recent incident in December, which saw vandals damage much of the garden’s infrastructure and steal some shade cloth and security lights, he said more funds were needed to restore what had been lost.

He added that the group would be putting funds towards constructing new raised garden beds, to allow easier access for some of its older volunteers who could no longer bend down as easily to garden at ground level.

“The garden attracts a wide range of ages and cultures. We are continually working to make the garden more attractive to a wider range of Docklands residents and office workers,” Mr Wise said.

“One of our recent initiatives involved building a sensory garden where people and their children can touch and feel growing plants and savour the fragrances of nature.”

While other community initiatives have come and gone over the years in Docklands, the community garden has stood the test of time and provided a vital space for locals to build lasting connections and express their inner green thumbs.

The Geographe St space is one that thrives and survives on volunteers and support from other organisations, and Mr Wise called on anyone interested in getting involved to come along on March 16 to find out how.

“One of the many benefits the garden offers to the Docklands community is its ability to help people meet other people in a calm, safe and pleasant environment,” he said.

“This is particularly useful to new Docklanders who might find it difficult to meet fellow residents and start the process of making friends.”

“It is very easy to start a conversation with strangers in the garden as everyone who visits is interested in gardens or gardening.”

“We look forward to welcoming new and longer-term Docklands residents to the community garden on Saturday, March 16 starting at 10am. The event will finish at around 1pm.”

For more information, contact Greg at [email protected] or visit the Docklands Community Garden Facebook group. •