Author: Russ Grayson, City of Sydney Community Garden & Landcare Coordinator. January 2012.

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Gardener's Guide to Bourke Street Park Community GardenTHIS GUIDE has been created to enable gardening to start in the area set aside by the City of Sydney for the Bourke Street Park Community Garden. 

Guide as an agreementPeople joining the Bourke Street Park Community Garden agree to comply with the conditions set out in this gardeners’ agreement. When they are ready, the community gardener group may amend the guide. Assistance may be obtained from the City of Sydney's community gardens coordinator. 

Create a member’s registerA register of community garden members should be set up to record member names and contact details.

Where organisations (such as those engaged in horticultural therapy) make use of the community garden, a person responsible for their clients/participants will be registered as a representative of the organisation and be recorded as a representative/member.

A member of the community garden team can take responsibility for maintaining and keeping the register of members.

Members agreementIn joining the Bourke Street Park Community Garden, individuals and organisations agree to:

• adopt processes and decisions made by the group that encourage the harmonious, non-exclusive use of the community garden

• adopt the principles of collaborative and non-exclusive decision making, problem solving and planning, encouraging all who are interested to participate in these activities

• minimise risk to the health of members and visitors by the careful use of garden tools, organic composts and fertilisers and pest management preparations, and by participating in safe gardening training when offered by the City of Sydney, gardeners or others arranged by them

• adopt organic gardening techniques so as to maintain the personal health of gardeners and visitors and the environmental health of the soils and surrounding environment; the use of organic gardening techniques is a requirement of the City of Sydney for the use of the site

• develop the community garden as a citizen-managed source of fresh food, recreation, learning and social interaction and, where applicable, as a source of therapeutic activity

• make no decisions or take action that infringe an individuals, whether a

gardener of a visitor, civil rights as enjoyed in Australian society

• lock the door to the storage room and the gate on leaving the community garden; this is to maintain site security and safety and to maintain the garden in a safe and sanitary condition.

The Bourke Street Park Community Garden occupies land managed by the City of Sydney as public open space. To accord with this, use of the garden area is granted on a non-exclusive basis. Visitors may enter the garden area during opening times to engage in activities that do not interfere with gardening (such as sitting and relaxing, looking at plants etc).

Community garden expansionThe Phase One development of the community garden is located in the open space at the southern end of the site adjacent to the patch of lawn and consists of the area to the pergola.  Phase Two will be developed according to the demand for gardening space. It will occupy the area along the park-side fence, leaving clear access to the gates in the fence, and extend from the pergola up to the fenceline at the northern end of the site.  

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Later, a community activity shed may be installed in part of the community garden area on the immediate north side of the pergola and against the retaining wall at the western edge of the garden. A verbal agreement has been made with City of Sydney staff involved in the activity shed project as to its placement and to leaving space between the shed and the park-side fence for expansion of the community garden. If there is demand, a children's garden consisting of low, narrow galvanised irom planters that children can reach across may be installed against the seating are on the immediate north side of the pergola, maintaining access to the seats. This can be installed when there is a need including during Phase One development if a childcare centre or school is interested in children using the garden.

GovernanceGovernance refers to how the community garden team will make decisions, resolve disagreement and communicate. Until the members of the community garden set up a management team, the City of Sydney's community gardens coordinator can perform a direct support role to the community gardeners during the garden’s establishment phase and assist with decision making. Once established, an elected management team would collaborate with all gardeners to make day to day decisions about the management of the community garden. 

Serious disagreementSometimes, differences of opinion can lead to conflict among gardeners. The existence of the community garden may be threatened by this and gardeners not involved in the conflict may wish to avoid unpleasantness by leaving the garden. Becoming a community garden member includes attempting to solve severe disputes, first, by meeting as a group to discuss the issue and possible solutions. Where successive meeting to attempt this fail, gardeners approach the City's community gardens coordinator seeking mediation to resolve the dispute.

Liaison with the City's community garden coordinatorGardeners are encouraged to elect a member who will be the main point of contact with the City of Sydney community garden coordinator. Ideally, the person will have a phone and email. The liaison person passes information between community garden members and the City of Sydney Community garden coordinator.

The site for Bourke Street Park Community Garden in early 2012.

Looking north through the pergola, already planted to grapes, to the Eastern Suburbs railway viaduct.

Let’s garden safelySafety in the community garden is about common sense and thinking about what we do.

Community gardeners are responsible for their own safety when in the garden. If you find anything in the garden that you consider unsafe and that you cannot deal with, notify the City of Sydney community garden coordinator.

A workshop on dealing with sharps in the community garden can be provided by the City’s Safe City team. Contact the community garden coordinator to arrange this.

Tool useIf you are taking more than one tool into the garden, carry them in a bucket or wheelbarrow.

Before using a spade, garden fork rake of other long-handled tool, look around to make sure there is nobody behind or beside you so you don't hit them with the tool.

When you have finished using a tool or put it aside, place it off paths and out of the way where people walk. Never lay a tool across a path where people might trip over it. Lean a long-handled tool against something when you put it aside. If you lay it on the ground, place it where people will not trip over it and with the blade or tangs facing down. A spade or garden fork can be pushed into the ground and off paths so that it is out of the way of people.

Carry tools in your hand or in a container rather than over your shoulder. If you do that then you can hit someone if you turn around and they are close by.

Clean tools regularly.

It is best to wear covered shoes when gardening as they offer more protection than sandals.

Avoid sunburn and dehydrationWear a hat when in the garden to avoid sunburn.

Consider wearing a loose, long sleeve shirt in hot weather to avoid sunburn, as well as long trousers.

Use suncream to reduce the risk of sunburn.

Author: Russ Grayson, City of Sydney Community Garden & Landcare Coordinator. January 2012.

 Having a liaison person simplifies communication with the City and avoids the confusion that can come when there are too many people communicating separately with the City. 

MeetingsCommunity garden members are encouraged to meet at least quarterly to review how the garden is going, to solve problems and to plan for the coming season. Some community gardens meet more regularly than quarterly.  While community garden members will be able to access the garden at any time via the combination lock to be installed o the gate, it is recommended that a working bee day be organised once a month and that all members attempt to attend. With a number of people present there is the opportunity to do work that requires more people and to discuss ideas and difficulties that may have come up.

Personal garden plotsWhere personal garden plots are allocated, gardeners have the responsibility to:

• maintain the plots in good condition

• make use of low-water-consumption gardening techniques (such as adding compost to soils as a fertiliser and using mulch to reduce the evaporation of moisture from garden soils)

• notify the garden management team if they will be absent from the garden for any considerable time

• agree to the garden management team allocating their plot to another gardener after two months of the plot not being in use

• not planting any plant other than vegetables that will grow to over one metre in height in their plot to avoid shading neighbouring plots and common garden areas; trees are not to be planted in personal plots but may be planted elsewhere in the community garden.

FundingThe City of Sydney will fund the design and construction of the Bourke Street Park Community Garden, provide an initial set of gardening tools, compost making faciltiy and provide training that the gardeners might need. Funding in the longer term could be obtained by applying for a City of Sydney Matching Grant. Over time, gardeners might wish to operate more independently by setting

up as an incorporated association and getting their own public liability insurance.

Site managementSite management refers to how the land area occupied by the community garden and its facilities will be cared for.  When the activity shed is erected on site, gardeners may contact the City of Sydney community garden coordinator to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the shed user group management setting out how the users of the shed will behave in regard to the community garden, its members and facilities and the land area of the garden. Use and management of the land area and the facilities of the Bourke Street Park Community Garden is broadly covered in three main categories:

• caring for people (community garden members, visitors, activity shed users)

• caring for the physical environment of the community garden (common areas, garden plots, tools, soils, water systems, plants etc)

• collaboration between gardeners, activity shed users and the City of Sydney and the sharing of knowledge, information, resources, materials, tools.

Organic gardeningThe City of Sydney Community Garden Policy stipulates that only organic gardening methods can be used in community gardens on City land. This excludes the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides. On request, gardeners can be provided with a workshop on organic gardening techniques. Organic gardening:

• reduces risk to gardener's health through the inappropriate use of garden products containing synthetic chemicals

• reduces the risk of contaminating soils, other gardener's crops and waterways.

Compost productionAn area of the community garden will be set aside for the production of compost. This is used to fertilise the community garden. Training in making compost can be provided by the City of Sydney community garden coordinator. A number of compost bins will be provided and more can be provided as gardener numbers grow. Compost can be produced as a shared resource. All garden members should help to make the compost.

Let’s garden safely...

Care with creaturesDo not pick up bugs, spiders or other creatures you come across. They might defend themselves by biting, stinging or scratching.

Bees will be found in community gardens but they are not aggressive and will sting only to defend themselves. If you have an allergy to bee sting, take care when they are around.

Look before lifting tools, buckets and other things because redback spiders can sometimes nest under them and a bite can be dangerous. Redbacks are common spiders about 1.5cm in width, glossy black in colour with a red mark on their back.

LiftingWhen lifting something heavy, bend your knees, crouch down, then lift by straightening your legs.

To avoid back injury, do not bend over to pick up something that is heavy.

Ask another person to help you lift heavy objects.

StorageStore tools and materials so they are unlikely to fall over.

Place heavy objects close to the ground and lighter, smaller objects above these.

Store tools and materials neatly in the storeroom so they are easily accessible and out of the way where people walk.

Avoid storing material the gardeners have no immediate use for.

Caring for childrenAvoid planting irritating or toxic plants and label hot-tasting vegetables and herbs with warning signs using pictures and words that will convey the danger to children.

If growing water crops in ponds or a large container, cover it with a barrier of weldmesh or similar material that prevents the children falling in but that allows the plants to grow through.

All gardeners can keep an eye on children so as to care for their safety and to ensure they enjoy their time in the garden.

Author: Russ Grayson, City of Sydney Community Garden & Landcare Coordinator. January 2012.

 It is important to use composting methods that exclude rats. Closed compost bins are preferred rather than open bays.

Maintaining the gardenAll garden members share in maintaining the community garden and its infrastructure such as paths, garden beds, shared garden areas and composting system. Members with personal plots are expected to share in the maintenance of the whole garden. The garden group may consider how much time from each member, including plot holders, is needed to do this. At the end of the day, gardeners should coil and store garden hoses and tools and lock the storage and garden gate when they leave. Gardeners may wish to use their own members or others from the community or

community gardening organisations to conduct training in the garden. The City of Sydney will, on request, organise training for gardeners in the basic skills of community gardening.  Gardeners are encouraged to attend City of Sydney workshops in other locations such as those organised by the community garden coordinator, the Green Village program and The Green Living Centre in Newtown. A useful set of community gardening skills that members might acquire consists of:

• compost making

• safe gardening

• making a garden bed

• using mulch on your garden

• propagating plants from seeds and cuttings

• making decisions effectively

• resolving disagreement creatively• planning for the next growing season.

The City of Sydney’s expectation of gardeners using the Bourke Street Park Community GardenGardeners will:

• maintain the area of the community garden in a safe condition for gardeners and visitors

• maintain the area of the community garden in a visually presentable manner

• accept people as members and visitors irrespective of ethnicity, belief, age or gender

• allow visitors into the community garden area, when the garden is open, to engage in activity compatible with community gardening

• appoint a member to liaise regularly with the City of Sydney community garden coodinator

• confer with the City of Sydney community garden coordinator if planning any large constructions on site

• agree to the City of Sydney using the community garden for publicity

• place no restrictions on the civil rights or citizens and organisations.

Bourke Street Park Community Garden gardeners’ expectation of the City of SydneyThe City of Sydney will:• provide support for the community garden as available through the City of Sydney

Community Garden Policy

• maintain communication with the community gardeners

• inform community gardeners of any action proposed by the City that could affect the use of the community garden

• respond as quickly as possible to communications from the community gardeners

• provide ongoing security of tenure for the community garden.

Author: Russ Grayson, City of Sydney Community Garden & Landcare Coordinator. January 2012.

Let’s garden safely...

Care with organic chemicalsSome organic pesticides can cause injury. When using them, such as chili spray, wear gloves and keep your hands away from your face and eyes.

When opening bags of compost or mulch, gardeners who have breathing difficulties should wear a fine dust mask to avoid inhaling particles that could irritate them. Stand upwind when opening bags of these materials to avoid breathing in any microorganisms in the bag.

Wash your hands after using organic gardening pest control materials and fertilisers. 

Other safe gardening ideasConsider wearing gardening gloves to protect your hands and to avoid cuts, scratches and blisters when using gardening tools and when spreading compost and mulch.

Wear enclosed shoes to protect your feet.

Cover ponds with standing water with azzolla or duckweed to reduce the opportunity for mosquitoes to breed. There are species of small native fish that eat mosquito larvae. 

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This Gardeners’ Guide to Bourke Street Park Community Garden was prepared by Russ Grayson and presented to the second formation meeting of the gardeners in 2012 and accepted by them.

It is thus considered an operational document.