Royal Botanic Gardens Community Greening outreach worker Brenden Moore was in Purfleet on Monday, December 18, to help start work at the site, located on an open space behind the Girrawong Preschool.

He was assisted by Josh Sly, a Catholic Aboriginal education assistant, who will take the skills he learns to implement a garden back to his school, as well as some community members.

“This is a community garden we are creating from the ground up,” said Brenden.

“It is our first garden we’re building here with the community and we want to grow flowers, herbs and veggies to support the local community. We’ve got corn, pumpkin, potatoes, chives, onion, garlic, chilli and capsicum.”

Before planting the herbs and vegetables, Brenden said they first needed to aerate and fertilise the soil.

The Purfleet community garden is designed for local families and kids to grow their own veggies and herbs in an outside community kitchen.

The garden is also aimed at building social relationships, educating families and youth and creating ownership of the community kitchen garden.

“We want this space to become their garden. This is an area to learn, to grow, to socialise,” said Brenden.

Jody Lawler from the Purfleet/Taree Aboriginal Lands Council added, “I want our community to grow more sustainable foods and to see the kids grow their own garden.

“I would also like to see the kids make their own meals and design their own cooking book using ingredients grown from the garden with more native plants infused with the modern veggie incorporated into the cookbook.”

Brenden said he initially started working with the Bush Tukka Cafe in Mudford Street and it is through those connections he has come to Purfleet to support the community garden.

He would like to see the garden build by word of mouth and the community grow a sense of connection by “growing their own herbs and veggies and garden and utilising this food in the kitchen and making up their own cookbooks”.

Brenden and Josh both have connections with the Manning, with both their grandmothers from the area.

“We feel like as if we’re not only supporting the community but we feel part of it already.

“We want to be able to help and support that community, not just on a financial or social level but more of a cultural connection.”

Brenden said the Royal Botanic Gardens Community Greening program has seen more than 600 community gardens established across Sydney, with the program also extending to rural and regional NSW.