This is a charity-owned garden with the express purpose of providing people in financial crisis with fresh produce.

Hope City Mission has partnered with Melbourne Water to construct this vegetable garden, which comprises 84 raised beds (2.4m x 1.2m each). It provides much needed fresh produce for the Hope City Mission foodbank program, which feeds around 80 families per week. In addition, they have a large greenhouse that they use to house their seedling propagation program, growing seeds to seedlings.

The garden also provides a place where the isolated can connect with others and have a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Volunteers are welcome to come and maintain the garden, with the preferred days being Monday, Wednesday, Thursday between the hours of 9am-3pm. Wednesday is the ideal day for volunteers as this is the day where all the action happens with picking produce ready to give out at Hope City Mission emergency food program on the Thursday.

There are regular working bees on most Wednesdays – please contact the office to confirm (9761 6778).

This garden is membership-based but membership is free.

What: The garden is a community shared space. There are no individual plots but produce is shared amongst those that attend, as well as used in the community lunch and cooking classes at Span. The garden is maintained with a watering system and by regular planting and harvesting. All produce is organic. The garden is a large space with a number of garden beds and areas producing vegetables, fruit and herbs. There is a shelter built with natural building techniques and materials that can be used for meetings or other activities, a propagation area, a seed and cuttings swap program, and a community mural. There are regular sustainability programs, classes and activities run throughout the year. The garden is access friendly for all.

Who: The garden is shared and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers and community members, with the assistance and support of Span Community House, and regular working bees. All those participating have differing levels of skills, experience and physical abilities. New community members and gardening beginners are invited and encouraged to join the garden group and participate in Span’s activities whilst learning and enjoying the company and support of other community members.

Audrey Beard is the Coordinator of the community garden. Read an interview with Audrey.

This garden is membership-based.

The garden started in 2015. They were fortunate to have received some grants from Banyule City Council to assist them in establishing the garden.

The garden is communally cultivated and the food raised is distributed between those who work in the garden, Macleod College and local organisations that provide food for those in need.

The site is two disused tennis courts in the grounds of Macleod College on the Somers Avenue boundary just north of the Basketball Stadium. The project is being run by Sustainable Macleod.