Our community garden is in the back corner of the Victory Primary School campus, near the Victory Village Learning Centre buildings and bordering the Railway Reserve. There is a unique waharoa (Maori word for gateway) at the entrance. This was carved by Mark Davis and a team of volunteers. The central garden is a mandala - a large circle with segments for different plantings, and rotating throughout the seasons. There is a shed for tools and equipment, a shade and seedling house - sheltered and warm for seedlings, and cooler and ventilated for plants before being planted out. A small octagonal pergola is for sitting and eating. There are a range of composting systems on display - 3 bin system, worm farm (in a bath), rotating barrel, and various examples of mulching - cardboard, sawdust, and barrels for soaking comfrey, weeds, fish stock and other garden foods for building soil fertility. All of these composting and mulching systems recycle and/or reuse materials, including food scraps from the kitchen - so you are helping reduce waste that goes to landfill, as well as helping your vegetables. All of the elements in our garden offers a demonstration or example you may have or create in your own home garden. We offer a regular GROW FOOD @ HOME workshops using the garden as the outdoor classroom. Our next course begins 9.30-11.30 on Saturday 18 February - See the "Grow Food" file below for detailed information. For other edible gardening activities around Nelson - go to Eco-Events in Nelson This photos shows the entrance and people working Here is a group exploring a new home garden that has been in the Victory community garden. created for Dennis in the wheelchair to have easy access for growing his vegetables.    Web-link to the Open Orchards project and the map of Nelson identifying fruit trees in public spaces = Open Orchards Victory Community Health Centre supports this community project - the planting and maintaining of fruit and nut trees in public places. The file below (Community Food Growing) is a recent report (January 2012) we commissioned to explore what is already going on in Nelson and how could be expand the capacity to create resiliency of food security, support free fruit into our communities, help communities to grow as much as increase our daily intake of fruit and be healthier - a positive move toward sustainability. The report is now in the hands of the Nelson City Council and Nelson Marlborough District Health Board to discuss ways and mechanisms to implement the recommendations. Residents and children planting fruit trees on Victory Railway Reserve  |