Melbourne’s inner-west is a rich patchwork quilt of bountiful community gardens. If you are challenged with lack of space, get in touch with a community garden near you today...
Click below to find the group you want:
Moonee Valley Community Gardens
Community Gardens in Maribyrnong
Yarraville Community Garden
McNish Reserve, Court Street, Yarraville
Contact: yarravillecommunitygarden @ gmail.com
The new Yarraville Community Garden (YCG) was recently completed, and is a meeting place for the local community to share their love of gardening.
Braybrook Community Garden
Adjacent to Skinner Reserve and Community Centre Churchill Avenue, Braybrook - See more at: Maribyrnong Community Gardens
Safer Communities and Health Promotion
Maribyrnong City Council
9688 0200
email @ maribyrnong.vic.gov.au
Braybrook garden has fruit trees, large raised communal beds, a barbeque, a pizza oven, composting and a shelter with table and chairs. People are welcome to plant and work in the garden and take produce home. An extension to the garden is currently being built, it will include individual beds, shared garden areas, an outdoor kitchen and orchard. A copy of the Braybrook Community Gardens Guildelines can be found here: Braybrook Community Gardens Guidelines (Word Format)
Maidstone Community Centre
21 Yardley Street, Maidstone
Wendy Vine
Maidstone Community Centre
9317 0747
wendy.vine @ maribyrnong.vic.gov.au
Maidstone garden has raised communal beds, a pizza oven and good access for people with disabilities. People are welcome to plant and work in the garden and take home produce.
Maribyrnong Edible Garden (MEG)
Hortense St Maribyrnong, on the old bowling green behind the Raleigh Rd Activity Centre
MEG committee can be emailed on megcommittee @ gmail.com
MEG has individual plots, for which members pay an annual fee, and shared garden areas including an outdoor kitchen, orchard and citrus grove. People are welcome to join the garden as a plot holder or social member.
Yarraville Baptist Church
16 High Street, Yarraville
03 9314 7626
churchoffice @ westgatebaptist.org.au
This garden provides space for Karen and Chin refugees from the Westgate community and clients from ANNECTO to grow fresh vegetables. If you’d like to get involved, volunteers are welcome.
Braybrook Maidstone Neighbourhood House Community Garden
113 Melon Street, Braybrook
Vivienne Conn
9317 5610
This garden is for all residents of Braybrook and Maidstone. Situated behind the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood Association, it has raised, accessible shared garden beds and a sheltered area. Workshops are held regularly, please contact the neighbourhood house for details
Anders Park
Bound by Hansen and Exhibition Streets and Robbs Road, West Footscray
Peter Gallagher 0400 293 620 anderstriangle @ hotmail.com
Anders Park has shared community herb gardens, fruit trees, native gardens, tables and chairs and plenty of space.
Community Gardens in Moonee Valley
Avondale Heights Community Garden
Rear 2-22 River Drive (enter via lane way) Avondale Heights VIC 3034
Contact Ann Stevens: annstevens @ optusnet.com.au, https://www.facebook.com/groups/131772866835850/.
Avondale Heights Community Garden was established in 2010 by local gardening enthusiasts. The garden has 22 vegetable plots (more to come), a shared fruit and berry orchard, and Indigenous western plains flora. The garden also has a frog bog to increase biodiversity and improve the quality of storm-water exiting the site. Avondale Heights Community Garden is wheelchair accessible, and runs a Food Swap every 3rd Sunday of the month.
Crown Street Community Garden
Crown Street, Flemington
Located on an elderly persons high rise estate close to the Melbourne Showgrounds, www.melbourneshowgrounds.com/ the gardeners are challenged by high winds that are common around high rise towers. Despite these difficulties, the enthusiastic gardeners of Crown Street manage to achieve an amazing productivity from their small plots. This small garden is not fenced in.
East Keilor Sustainability Street Community Garden
10a Tuppal Place (in Tuppal Reserve), East Keilor.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Keilor-Sustainability-Street-Community-Garden-Inc/168466587991
East Keilor Sustainability Street Community Garden is a group of predominantly East Keilor residents whose aim is to source and use life's most basic commodities, water, food and power, in a sustainable way.
The community garden in Tuppal Reserve grows food, hosts shared BBQ/ open days, tree planting and Clean Up Australia activities. The garden has 53 regular beds, garden beds for children and those with a disability.
Essendon Community Garden
56 Brisbane Street, Ascot Vale
www.essendoncommunitygardens.jimdo.com
This garden was the second to be established in Victoria in 1978. Its members are committed to a sense of community, conservation and organic gardening principles.
Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre Community Garden
28 Farnham Street, Flemington
This garden is widely used by students of the Learning Centre, individual gardeners and local schools. It hosts a great number of community events and education activities.
Flemington Community Garden
Racecourse Road, Flemington.
The Flemington Community garden was originally established in the early 1990’s for the residents of the Flemington estate, and is managed by Cultivating Communities. It underwent major renovation during 2005 and is now a thriving patchwork of plants and people. You can read more about the garden here.
Strathmore Community Garden
Boeing Reserve, Strathmore Heights (next to Boeing Reserve car park).
The Boeing Reserve Wellness Group initially established this garden with the aim to encourage more social interaction in the local area. The garden has become something different to everyone, eg. a peaceful meeting place, a buzz of activity on working bee days, a picnic area for families and a source of advice and inspiration. There are around 36 plots with members growing a variety of vegetables, flowers and herbs. Most members live within the local area and the garden has brought a sense of connectedness for them to the community and their environment.
To find out more email strathmorecommunitygarden@gmail.com or visit their facebook page.
Wingate Avenue Community Garden
Wingate Avenue, Ascot Vale
This garden is located across the road from the Wingate Avenue Community Centre and is part of a community hub for tenants from the Ascot Vale estate. Refurbished in 2011, the garden is now home to a blend of older people and young families and a feisty brood of chickens. Wingate now has a gardening star in the community – in 2013, Fatun Abdi Arte won the Victoria in Bloom award for Best Edible Garden.
Community Gardens in Hobsons Bay
Laverton Community Garden
91 Bladin Street, Laverton
Contact Val on 03 9369 2105, 0439 714 951 or ValWes @ bigpond.com
Altona Community Gardens Inc
Website: altonacg.org
Email: info @ altonacg.org
Contact Aleisha Rasheed on 0418 527 417 or Peter Weaver on 0430 808 240
Facebook: Altona Community Gardens Inc
Food Swaps
Do you have an over-abundance of fresh home grown produce that you don’t want to waste? Well, you can do more than give it away – swap it for something else at one of these great social events.
Avondale Heights Community Garden
Rear 2-22 River Drive (enter via lane way) Avondale Heights VIC 3034
Contact Ann Stevens: annstevens @ optusnet.com.au, or connect on facebook.
Avondale Heights Community Garden runs a Food Swap every 3rd Sunday of the month from 10am.
Western Urban Harvest Swap Meet
Pilgrim Stret Park, Cnr John Street, Seddon 3011
Phone 0437 773855, Email goodseeds.garden @ gmail.com, www.thegoodseeds.blogspot.com.au/
Swap Meet on the first Saturday of each month 10 -11.30am. Bring your excess homegrown and homemade produce to swap and share.
West Footscray & Maidstone harvest share
Maidstone Community Centre, Gibbs Street, Maidstone 3012
http://www.localharvest.org.au/listing-page/?listing_id=2520
10-11.30am every third Sunday of the month. Monthly community gatherings to share excess produce, seeds, home-made goodies, ideas and more.
Farmer's Markets
Our Farmer’s Markets are fantastic places to visit on the weekend – and our local markets are closer and more convenient than you think!
Yarraville Gardens Farmers Market
Cnr Hyde and Sommerville Rd, Yarraville
Held on the fourth Saturday of the month from 8.30-1pm, and set in the beautiful historical Yarraville Gardens in Melbourne Victoria. Yarraville Gardens Farmers Market sells an extensive range of fresh fruit and veggies. Take the whole family (including the pooch) down to do the Saturday shop with fresh, nutritious produce to choose from, delicate pastries to share at brunch with a hot cup of coffee, and a gorgeous off-lead park to walk the dog.
Flemington Farmer’s Market
Mt Alexander College, 175 Mt Alexander Road, Flemington
www.flemingtonfarmersmarket.com.au
Held every Sunday from 9am – 1pm, the Flemington Farmers Market is Melbourne’s first farmers’ market to be established with Victorian Farmers’ Market Association accreditation - a guarantee that stallholders grow or make the goods they sell. Unlike any other fresh food shopping experience, farmers’ markets bring a true slice of rural life to the city and provide the Melbourne community an opportunity to meet and directly support Victoria’s regional producers.
Altona Farmer’s Market
Held on the fourth Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm, if you live or work nearby the Altona Farmer’s Market is a vibrant, family-friendly market that is perfect for you.
Other Great Groups to be a Part of...
Transition Hobsons Bay
Transitions Hobsons Bay are a community group that is working to inspire a strong and healthy future for our neighbourhoods and have working groups based on different gardening themes for the keen urban gardener.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/transitionhb/
Local Harvest
Eat, buy, grow, share, learn and head to the markets with the Local Harvest map.
Permaculture groups
Find permaculture information and people at Permaculture Out West http://pow.org.au/
Permablitz Melbourne www.permablitz.net
Werribee Park Heritage Orchard
Werribee Park, K Road, Werribee, Victoria, Australia Enter via Gate 2, park in Werribee Park’s visitor car-park and walk to Orchard via Formal Gardens.
http://www.werribeeparkheritageorchard.org.au
Werribee Park Heritage Orchard, situated near Melbourne, is a beautiful antique orchard dating from the 1870s. It was renowned for its peaches, grapes, apples, quinces, pears, a variety of plums and several other fruits, as well as walnuts and olives. Over the past few decades the orchard was forgotten and fell into ruin. Recently this historic treasure was rediscovered and we formed a group to restore it to its former glory. WPHOs enthusiastic members assist with the preservation of the orchard, and offer workshops and training to the public.