American River Community Garden

Our intent is to create a community garden ‘with a difference’, at the site of original settler John Buick’s orchard at Lot 12 Buick Drive, American River. A heritage fruit orchard is proposed, centred around the existing Mulberry tree planted by John Buick in the 1800s. Heirloom fruit varieties would be planted to interpret and celebrate this important part of the American River’s history. Also incorporated would be a modest number of garden beds with a likely emphasis on herb production.

While a productive garden will be important, our priorities are maximising community engagement, celebrating the site’s history, and providing more formalised protection for the mulberry tree.

Aims:

To provide a public garden for the American River community, which

• is accessible to old, young, differently abled
• is inclusive of residents, visitors, holiday home owners and property owners
• is an open, friendly green space that appeals to various senses: visual, aural, olfactory, and tactile.
• provides maximum involvement and enjoyment by the AR community, rather than maximum production
• provides a forum from which to share knowledge and practice with other community gardens
• uses an existing historic site, the former orchard of pioneers John and Frances Ann Buick, to meet community needs and create community benefit.

Location