Urban farms are cropping up everywhere, as residential land sizes diminish or disappear with the move to apartment living.
In the more than 700 community gardens across Australia, about 20,000 participants each week tend these green patches. They’re there to grow fresh produce, as well as to learn, relax and make new friends.
About 20 years ago, urban farms were a “newish” thing, says Jane Mowbray, membership coordinator at Community Gardens Australia, and she could visit each one as it opened. Seven years ago, the huge growth in numbers means she now can’t get to them all!
Let’s hear from community garden organisers and directors on everything you need to know about community gardens, including how they work, how to join one or create your own.

What is a community garden?
A community garden is a plot of land that is cultivated and maintained by a group of people from the local area. Sometimes called an ‘urban or city farm’, these pieces of land are used to grow vegetables, flowers and other plants that can be for personal or public use.
The concept of community gardens goes back more than 100 years when allotments were provided in Europe to people whose homes didn’t come with garden areas. Each allotment was tended by one gardener or family. In Australia, the concept has been broadened, with chores and harvests shared among members. And that sharing goes beyond the gardeners. In many community patches, it extends to leaving excess produce at the gate for passers-by to enjoy.

In the case of Happy Hens, a group that runs two community gardens in Sydney’s Gladesville area, water is supplied free by the local council. “We collaborated with the council and had solar panels put on the sheds’ roofs, so the electricity goes into the grid,” says Emma Paxton, Happy Hens’ president.
Emma Daniell, NSW coordinator for Community Gardens Australia, is part of a group in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. “We grow herbs along the fence for the public to pick,” she says.
Both have a philosophical approach to non-members wandering through and picking up leafy greens for their salads and flowers for the table. “We’re fine with that,” says Emma Paxton. “If they’re taking just bits… we don’t want them to take everything.”
Emma Daniell says that while many gardens are locked, “you need a mindset that a community garden is seen as a shared concept.”

Benefits of community gardening
One of the benefits of community gardens, says Robyn Main from Wentworthville Community Garden, is the diversity of people they attract – from all age groups and cultural backgrounds.
It’s not all about growing food – it’s also about building friendships. Emma Daniell from Community Gardens Australia says a space where members can just chat or plan activities is important. “Not all structures are the same. Some have a hierarchy and decisions on planting and tending are handed down; others have a more ad hoc approach.”
Here’s a list of our favourite benefits of community gardens:
- Access to local vegetables and fruits that are often sustainably and organically grown.
- Promotes moving and can benefit physical health.
- Builds stronger local communities and friendships.
- Promotes sustainable agriculture.
- Provides educational opportunities about the environment and agriculture.
How to join a community garden
To join a community garden, you will need to apply directly to that garden. This can be done through their website, Facebook page or even by contacting group members by phone. The best way to find your closest community garden is by heading to Community Gardens Australia’s directory, which shows local community gardens in all states of Australia.
Becoming a member of a community garden involves paying an annual fee that goes into a fund that covers expenses such as water, electricity, equipment, fertiliser, seeds and seedlings, among other things.
Emma Daniell says that beginning a community garden first involves looking for grants from your local or state government. “Some get private sponsorship, or if the garden is in a public school then the local Department of Education will be able to help.” She encourages community gardens to be organic to avoid relying on expensive herbicides and pesticides. “Many of the gardens are on local government land so they’re encouraged to follow organic principles,” she says.

Sustainable gardening also rolls into sustainable finances. Emma Paxton says Happy Hens hasn’t bought soil for years. “We compost everything, and we let some plants go to seed, which we save for the next season.” They also have a coffee outlet, and the profits from that go back into the garden.
Emma Daniell was once in a school garden that sold excess produce to parents. “You need to be careful though. If you’re on local government land, you can’t sell or profit from public land.” Both say fundraisers, such as sausage sizzles, are a vital part of their activities.
How to start your own community garden
As our urban environments become more densely developed, green patches that are also productive are becoming precious. If you want to set up your own community garden, the first place to go to is your local government, which may have land available and the ability to give you a start-up grant.
But do your homework! The Community Gardens Australia website has a wealth of resources that can help guide you.
What to consider before starting a community garden
- Access to flat land, with exposure to all-day sun, especially in winter, and protection from damaging winds.
- Access to water.
- Drawing up a plan for the garden, including paths, shelter from the sun, a tool and utilities shed, water tank and seating.
- Finding public liability insurance.
- Completing a risk assessment, such as risk of injuries, environmental risks to adjacent waterways or bushland.
- Assessing the costs of garden beds, tool shed, potting and propagation tables and shed, irrigation systems, hoses, tools, wheelbarrows, etc.
- Drawing up a management plan to include regular meetings to plan planting, pest and weed control, maintaining compost, tools and equipment, and how labour is shared.
- Determining how to deal with pests, including possums and brush turkeys.
- Mitigating the effect pests, specifically rats raiding compost areas, have on neighbours.
- Community garden members prefer a patch that is local so they can walk to it or drive without using too much petrol.
Features of a community garden

01
Use repelling plants
Put in a run of wandering calendula flowers among leafy greens such as spring onions and broccoli – they attract pollinators such as butterflies and bees and repel pests such as aphids, nematodes, thrips and whiteflies.

02
Bring in pollinators
Most vegetable crops rely on insects for pollination – so this beehive at a community garden run by Happy Hens ensures a steady and bountiful supply of seeds for sowing next season.
03
Create raised garden beds
Raised garden beds mean you have greater control over the quality of your soil. Sandy soils drain easily, but water takes nutrients with it. Clay is nutrient rich, but plants can drown after long periods of rain as the water doesn’t drain well. Once you’ve put in your preferred soil, just top up the nutrients with compost.

04
Invest in chickens
Scratching chooks help prepare the soil for planting and supply manure and fresh eggs daily. However, they need a reliable source of water, secure weather and predator-proof coops. They also need someone to let them out each morning and put them back in each evening.

05
Don’t forget the pretty plants
Pretty little pansies have multiple purposes in a community garden. They brighten up your winters, they provide nectar for bees and other pollinators when food is scarce, and they’re also edible.

06
Compost, compost, compost
Compost heaps turn garden waste into black gold, keeping soils rich in nutrients for bigger, better-tasting crops. The Happy Hens gardeners haven’t bought soil for years.