It is the local community’s best-kept secret. Nestled between Bond and New Bond Streets the Kingsland Community Orchard, locally also known as the Secret Garden, is flourishing thanks to being tended to by diligent locals.
“The orchard has been around for a long time with different groups looking after it. At the moment The Kingsland Eco-Neighbours group is looking after this space,” says volunteer Rachel Fanshawe.
Community volunteers like Rachel grow food in the orchard for anyone who needs it. The group is supported through Albert-Eden Local Board under the EcoNeighbourhoods programme.
This is a fun way for people to spend time in nature and find ways to contribute meaningfully to living lightly and making a positive impact on our environment at the local level. It is a nice space to escape the noise of the city too with grass and a table for a picnic.
“We have pollinator gardens to support valuable pollinators throughout the year. And we have composts and a large worm farm to support local composting and divert food waste from landfill,” says Rachel.
The biggest challenge is the reliance on rainfall and a small storage capacity. The group is making efforts to grow rainwater storage capacity to help them get through the drier summer months.
“This is fabulous work. We’re committed to supporting locals in creating sustainable lifestyles as a way to contribute positively to our environment. To see the garden thriving and locals benefitting from it is a great outcome,” says Lee Corrick, Chair of Albert-Eden Local Board.
People can get involved by contacting the Kingsland eco-neighbours on Facebook or email to get more information: kingslandurbangarden@gmail.com
