Pop-up community garden planted in Cambridge

A pop-up vegetable garden is being planted at Thompson Street Playground in Cambridge – and the community is invited to get involved.

The Pop Up Edible Garden Project provides residents with free, edible produce. Flowers for attracting pollinating bees will also be planted.

Cambridge Community Board member Elise Badger is the driving force behind the project, which aims to build community interaction and resilience.

“Our town will benefit from access to fresh vegetables as we recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19 and head towards the festive season,” she says.

Volunteers nicknamed ‘Garden Guardians’ will keep an eye on the gardens, with residents invited to take care of the growing plants and enjoy the harvest.

“We only ask that once the produce is ready for eating, people take only what they need – and leave the rest for their neighbours.”

She said community gardens can improve wellbeing, grow skills and build neighbourhood connections.

“Community gardens are also a wonderful chance to come together with your neighbours to share gardening knowledge.”

The community is invited to a garden planting event at the Thompson Street Playground, on the corner of Thompson and Shelley streets, at 2pm on Sunday 1 November.

Thompson Street Playground is the pilot site for the project, with more gardens planned for other sites around Cambridge if the initiative is successful.

The Pop Up Edible Garden Project is a temporary initiative of the Reserve Landscape Working Group of the Cambridge Community Board.

The group works as a liaison between Cambridge community gardening and greenspace groups and Waipā District Council.

To learn more about the project and keep up-to-date with harvest times, head to www.facebook.com/popupediblegardencambridge.