Here’s some ideas for returning food production to the city in community gardens. The fact sheets are a collection of ideas to get you started in your community garden using some of the basic techniques for productive gardening.

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Checklist for new community gardens

Use this checklist to:

• record what you like and what you are uncertain of when touring community gardens to collect ideas for a new community garden
• think about what you would like in a new community garden and how you might manage it.

After visiting community gardens, organise a debriefing session to collate, from this checklist, what you like, what you don’t want and what needs further investigation for inclusion in your new community garden.

Safety in the community garden

Safety in the community garden is mostly thoughtfulness and common sense. This fact sheet covers a few of the common considerations for safe gardening.

What is community gardening

A basic introduction to the practice of community gardening. Suited for distribution at introductory information sessions on community gardening.

What is organic gardening

An introduction to an approach to food production that is safest for gardeners, soils and nearby environments.

How to compost

Turning waste into fertiliser is a practice in all community gardens. This fact sheet offers a simple method of compost production.

Suitable for distribution at compost production workshops and to people new to the practice.

How to build a no-dig garden

A simple method, based on the no-dig gardening method developed by Sydney organic gardener, Esther Deans, that makes use of old newspaper (or similar paper waste) and straw for easy-to-make garden beds.

Suited to distribution to participants in workshops and courses.

Illustrations by Rob Allsop, Quietworks.

Integrated pest management

An intelligent, observation and knowledge-based approach to controlling garden pests without recourse to synthetic chemical controls.

What is crop rotation

A simple, four or five phase method of gardening that can reduces the incidence of soil-borne pathogens and restores soil fertility.

What is permaculture

A short introduction to the permaculture design system.

Permaculture is a thinking tool that is useful at the design phase of community garden development.

The sustainable home

Many community gardeners also seek ways to improve energy and water use in their homes.

This fact sheet introduces some of the principles in conservative energy and water use and other ways to make your home safe and low-impact.