A group of environmentally-friendly neighbours are putting on a weekend festival of delectable gardens.
On 28-29 October, nine community and private gardens across the Albert-Eden Local Board area will be on display for everyone to walk through.
The network of participating gardens will be mapped and wayfinders stood up to identify each garden on the trail. Admission is $2 per garden and visitors are welcome to visit any of the mapped gardens.
Gardeners will greet and host, and some will even have goods to sell.
Albert-Eden Sustainable Garden Trail project manager, Moe Richardson, is thrilled the festival is coming together and thankful for support from the local board’s EcoNeighbourhood programme getting it off the ground.
“The trail is like hosting an open home, but you’re opening your garden to inspire others to grow their own food,” she says.
“When we started connecting as a Facebook group during lockdown, most of us were new to gardening but realised we wanted to make this a real thing in person. Then we were inspired by the Eastern Bays Sustainable Garden Trail and the way they engaged as a community.
“We wanted to get the same thing going here, not just in Mt Albert but hopefully more gardens across the local board area will join us. As a result of recent events, such as effects of climate change and the increasing cost of produce, the project makes sense for many of us,” adds Richardson.
Organisers of the garden trail are part of Mt Albert Gardeners and Growers groups which were first formed during COVID-19 to exchange and sell plants and produce, provide information and connect as neighbours.
Richardson explains:
“We’re passionate outdoor and indoor gardeners within Mt Albert and nearby suburbs growing fruits, vegetables, edibles plants in backyard gardens, apartment balconies or at the local school and community gardens.
“The purpose of the group is to connect with passionate local outdoor indoor gardeners to grow our communities, develop friendships through sharing, giving away or swapping plants, flowers, vegetables, fruits, indoor plants or cuttings.”
More details and a map of Albert-Eden Sustainable Garden Trail can be found here.
The neighbours have since formed an EcoNeighbourhood group which enables access to local board funding and the support of a facilitator, who assists with setting up practical elements of projects such as these and connections within the community. The group are hoping to plan an even bigger event next year and that more groups in local board areas across Tāmaki Makaurau will have a trail of their own.
Want to start your own EcoNeighbourhoods group? For more information, contact the EcoNeighbourhoods Facilitator.
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