When a couple of Parkhurst residents started the community vegetable garden in 2015, we saw it as an agent for change in the area. They realised that people in the community were hungry and lacked nutritious food. They also knew that there was unproductive space in the area that could be used to grow food to help these people. This is when it was decided to plant a garden where people could help themselves to free, nutritious produce, as a community-building project.
Having obtained permission from the local community centre, they began to plant the vegetable garden on the centre’s property. It’s accessibility by the public and proximity to the local clinic meant that people passed by often, making harvest of seasonal produce from the garden convenient. It was also near a tap, vital for irrigation.
Volunteer-run
The garden is run by a group of volunteers who maintain the garden weekly. A local gardener is employed to help with irrigation: the volunteers all have full-time jobs, so can’t get to water the garden as often as needed. The residents put in a water-wise drip irrigation system that doesn’t need much attention, but needs to be turned on and off during the week.
Changing shape
At first, the vegetables were planted in the ground. They soon realised, however, that using planting boxes would contain the vegetables better. This, in turn would make maintaining and harvesting easier, and also look good. Pallets were used to make boxes and compost purchased to fill them. Pallets were also used to make compost boxes so that the gardeners could make their own compost with garden refuse. In 2019, the pallet planting boxes were replaced with brick structures, which last longer than the pallets. The infrastructure was mostly built at a couple of Mandela Day initiatives, when people from the community came to help.
Environmentally friendly
Right from the beginning, the garden has followed organic principles. Poisons are never used: companion plants help to keep away pests, and the ground is enriched through mulching, composting, and planting beneficial plants. Bee- and butterfly-friendly plants, and a bug hotel, encourage pollinators to the area. The resident lizards, centipedes, and birds all help to balance the ecosystem in the garden.
Learning through trial and error
Over the five years of the garden’s growth, the community gardeners have learned a lot, mostly through trial and error. They’ve learned that a working vegetable garden doesn’t look as lush as first envisaged! People harvest from the plants all the time, so they don’t generally get very big – and this is exactly what they want. They’re thrilled when they see that people are enjoying a particular plant. The most popular crops are leaf crops like kale and spinach, and people love the leaves of pumpkin plants too. There are a couple of fruit crops coming on: lemon, lime, and fig trees, and the granadilla vines which bear amazing fruit.
Overcoming challenges
Of course there have also been some challenges. Irrigation is a constant difficulty, especially in Joburg’s dry winters, and the drought of 2017 was a tough period. The garden doesn’t have a source of regular funding, so fundraising pays for the garden assistant and to buy equipment like irrigation pipes. One of the volunteers is a brilliant germinator, so the cost of the plants is low: they save seeds and swap with other gardeners in the area. They’d also love for more people to volunteer regularly. People can find their Facebook page (Incredible Edible Parkhurst) to get in contact there.
Rewards beyond food
The rewards far outweigh the challenges. Working in the garden is satisfying, as is knowing that the garden is helping people be healthier. The garden has helped to bring people together: gardeners get to have conversations with many members of the community as they pass by, and parents and caregivers often bring children to the garden to see what’s happening. It’s a great way for children to learn about where their food comes from, and how different plants have different seasons. In the five years of the garden’s existence, it’s grown much more than just food: it’s helped to grow a community.
Edited By: Alison Zimmermann
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