More than a garden

As I sat with Catherine and Lin of New Brighton Community Garden on a sunny Friday morning in late summer, we were greeted by a steady stream of visitors.

A school group came to survey the garden for a statistics assignment. Donald, a resident sculptor, was finding inspiration for his next work. Will from the local fermentary, Urban Monk, delivered goods for compost making. And a cheerful band of weekly regulars arrived to get their hands dirty.

Lin attributes the garden ’s popularity to Catherine’s kindness and leadership skills. Catherine attributes it to Lin’s fun spirit and expert co-ordination. Describing themselves as ‘double trouble’, this is the dedicated duo who make this happy place tick.

Before leading New Brighton Community Garden, Catherine had her own business, growing organic vegetables. She grew up on a sheep and cropping farm in Canterbury and growing good food has always been her number one focus. Clearly, she's a fountain of knowledge, and as Lin puts it, “The glue that connects people. She is a great facilitator and creates an environment where everyone who comes feels welcome and safe to be themselves.”

Lin was born in Germany and moved to New Zealand in 1999, starting a business as a gilder and contracting to Christchurch Art Gallery. When health setbacks forced her to rethink her occupation she came across a job ad for a part time co-ordinator at New Brighton Community Garden. Lin the self-proclaimed “YouTube Gardener” says she has now learned the value of cultivating good soil. She has harvested her first carrot and a “stunning selection of tomatoes.”

“We grow really good veges, but it’s not just about that.”

Perfectly imperfect

As it is with most sustainably orientated food gardens, picture-book perfection is not the goal here. Biodiversity thrives in the colourful jumble of plantings, wildlife and up-cycled functionally that overlays the original circular design.

Nineteen years ago, a small community group established New Brighton Community Garden on the vacated grounds of a local Women’s Bowling Club. One of 70 community gardens in the Canterbury region, it has now grown to 6000 sqm of fruit trees, vegetables and flowers – about one third of each.

“This garden is a beautiful patchwork of all of the volunteers since 2005,” says Catherine. “The volunteer group is diverse, and everybody is equal.”

Community has no boundaries

As volunteers evolve, so do their skills and they each bring something different, she explains. This garden means different things to different people. People who wouldn’t usually interact can be found discussing how well the beans are doing, or what they will cook with the produce. And there are certain people that come here that just make everyone feel better.

There are parents and children, retired people, widowed people who live alone, disabled people and busy working people. Some stay for a long time and some come and go. All are welcome. Lin and Catherine strive to make NBCG a safe space away from the crazy world.

Volunteer management, finding individuals’ strengths and weaving them together, is a big part of Catherine’s role. She balances giving her volunteers the autonomy to do what they enjoy, while making sure all the jobs get done.

Alongside the New Brighton residents, people from all over Ōtautahi enjoy helping in their own way.

“New Brighton is a destination – you don ’t just pass through it … it is a really special community”

“People seem to keep coming back,” says Catherine. “That is the great thing about nature – there is always something new to look at."

A place for learning

A community garden encourages people to go home and garden. School children visit regularly, enjoying this vibrant space as a playground while learning about nature, biodiversity, teamwork and perseverance.

“Students who may struggle in the classroom excel here and often become the leader,” says Lin. “They discover that they have leadership skills and knowledge and that when they have the chance, they can really thrive.”

The power of giving

“We are all connected by food.”

Volunteers give their time, and the garden gives back. Recently, a young man spent regular time here through a partnership program with the Department of Corrections. When the team offered him vegetables to thank him for his work, he chose to give them to his carer instead. He didn’t often get opportunities to give to others and appreciated that gardening gave him that opportunity.

The most common feedback they get is that it is a peaceful place. “Even with 85 children running around and a lawnmower going!” laughs Catherine. “This garden is a result of all of the hands that have touched it. It is a central place for the community to contribute, connect and find peace.”

Volunteers are not only gardening. Some can be found at their computers designing a logo or manning the barbecue at the NBCG Market Day (a very popular event).

Businesses have chipped in too. The team from Graham Hill Roofing replaced, free of charge, the old leaky roof of the Garden Hall. Donald’s new sculpting shed was built by Citycare Property, Connetics and Orion. And thanks to Naylor Love, a new grow house, triple the size of the old one, has recently been installed.

“These big, one-off projects are really helpful, and we are equally grateful to the volunteers and funders who help us maintain this place day-to-day,” says Catherine.

Keeping costs down

Even with generous community support and funding, finances are perpetually stretched but they have ways of keeping costs down.

NBCG Market Days are a hit with locals. Live music, food and seedlings for sale make it a must-visit event. Last Market Day raised $8000 in plant and seedling sales. Catherine and Lin think this is a great sign that so many more people are gardening these days.

The Magic Growhouse, an old greenhouse at the back of the garden, has braved many storms and Canterbury frosts. It has served them well, but with so many seedlings now grown, the new much larger greenhouse will pay for itself in one or two years.

Nearly everything that is planted at NBCG is from saved seeds. For example, each year they save the very best tomato of the harvest for seed - much to Lin’s dismay!

Coastal gardening

A few blocks back from the beach, New Brighton Community Garden is far enough away from sea spray, but the gardeners have had to overcome sandy soil by constantly adding organic matter to keep the soil nice and rich. These compost gurus are all about soil and treating it well.

This summer, that rich well-tended soil produced an abundance of tomatoes, which the volunteers plant nice and deep. Of the 32 varieties grown, Midnight Snacks and Potentate have been especially successful this year. NBCG tomatoes are famous among locals.

As well as compost, they use lots of pea straw and other organic materials cover the soil surface and retain precious moisture.

Starting out

Catherine and Lin encourage anyone who wants to start a community garden. There are so many benefits, but they suggest you start small. Gather as many people as possible who want to join you. You will eventually need paid staff like Catherine and Lin to keep it going, so finding keen funders is important too.

HOW TO HELP

Helping in a community garden is a great way to learn about gardening, and there is always something more to learn. Catherine says people often think they can ’t contribute if they work full time but there are many other ways to get involved. Every garden will have its own unique needs, but here is what the team at NBCG appreciate:

• Donate resources like gardening tools and equipment or egg cartons for seedlings.
• Funding is critical to maintain the Garden.
• Volunteers – without whom this wouldn’t be possible.
• Promotion - Even liking our Facebook page helps! https://www.facebook.com/newbrightoncommunitygardens/photos