Due to the recent rainfall, marshmallow weeds had grown to over a metre tall in some areas of the garden space, and so a thorough weeding was required across the site.
“We're getting there slowly, but we've still got a lot to do,” Rochester Community Garden Planning and Action Group facilitator Sharon Herne said.
“We moved all of the bricks and materials away from the fence to construct the garden bed for the fruit trees.
“The plastic bulk containers were donated to us, and we turned them into wicking beds.”
The project, based out of the grounds of the Rochester Heritage Court House, has plans for all gardeners to participate.
“We want the garden to be accessible for everybody, so we hope to get a grant so we can put down gravel and pavers so people in wheelchairs and who use walkers can access the garden,” Ms Herne said.
The people behind the community garden have a strong sense for sustainability, reusing as much as they can to create the garden space.
“Most of it has been donated; we did have to purchase some wood for the garden bed along the fence, but the bricks have all been donated,” Ms Herne said
Donations of materials and resources such as wheelbarrows and metal bins are abundant around the site, including a particularly unique kind hardware: four cast iron bathtubs.
“The bathtubs — four that are here so far and four that are still to come — have been donated to make raised beds on posts 800 millimetres high so that people who can't bend over can access and use the garden too,” Ms Herne said.
“It's not just veggies, it will be flowers and other plants as well.
“Hopefully once the garden is up and running, we'll do workshops and have other groups involved in the project, like the aged care residents at the hospital.
“It's not about the planting, it's about the social aspect.”
The Rochester Community Garden team members can be reached on their Facebook page ‘Rochester Community Garden'.
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