Lisa Greenwood, trainer Alan Doyle and Rachel James with  Yanchep Institute students.
Camera IconLisa Greenwood, trainer Alan Doyle and Rachel James with Yanchep Institute students. Credit: Supplied/Supplied, Martin Kennealey         d457686

Yanchep community garden leads to growth in all who tend to it

Lucy JarvisNorth Coast Times

IT’S not just the plants that are growing at the Yanchep Community Garden.

Students at Yanchep District High School students are also blossoming – they have been leaving their classrooms to work outdoors and help double the garden’s footprint while learning vocational skills.

Located east of Yanchep Central Shopping Centre off Peony Boulevard, the community garden is open every Wednesday from 9am-11.30am.

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Created by developer Yanchep Beach Joint Venture and nurtured by the North Coastal Women’s Shed, the communal space has eight big garden beds with vegetables and herbs as well as a few fruit trees.

“The great thing about the garden is that it brings together such a diverse range of individuals from the community, from those like myself with brown fingers and no experience to the green-fingered garden gurus who have been growing food all of their lives,” Yanchep volunteer Rachel James said.

“Our youngest volunteers are still in their pushchairs, have their own child-sized tools and are learning from our more experienced volunteers who are in their 70s and 80s.

“It is a great place not only to grow food and share knowledge and skills, swap seeds and recipes from our harvest but also to share stories, chats and friendship.

“Earlier this year the garden held its first seed and plant swap market – this event generated much-needed local interest and now the garden is looked after by an ever expanding group of local volunteers.

“It has been heart warming to see numbers grow from two or three volunteers to 12-plus volunteers meeting to water, mulch, plant and weed.”

As the group works towards becoming an incorporated community organisation, Mrs James said the developer had also allowed the lot size to grow.

“The new extension will include additional garden beds, a much needed shed, composting area, work bench area and seating area, with paved paths into and around the garden making access for wheelchair users much easier,” she said.

“Hopefully by the time the extension to the garden is complete we will have become ‘Yanchep Community Garden Inc’.”

For more information, visit the garden on Wednesday mornings, find it on Facebook or call Rachel James on 0427 588 572.

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