Simply Living Community Garden

The Simply Living Community Garden in the church grounds is open all year round.  It includes an edible garden with herbs, vegetables and fruit, community composting bays and seating in shade and sun.

Everyone is welcome to join in the activities held in and around the garden or simply enjoy the space.  We invite the community to pick herbs and vegetables but ask people to only take as much as they need, take care of the plants so they continue to be productive and to give something back in return. Contributions of time, expertise, materials, compost scraps or donations are welcome.

Update March 2023

The Simply Living Community Garden, Community composting and community seed exchange are open and all our activities have resumed.
Kitchen Mates social cooking is no longer running.
Make & Mend now twice a month - 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 1-4 pm

Please follow current government COVID-19 hygiene and social distance requirements when visiting the garden.

Community garden activities include:

Gardening
Free seasonal gardening activities;
Meet other people, share your gardening skills or learn new ones
Preschool families:  Monday 12-1 pm (school term time)
Weekday gardening: Monday 1-2pm (school term time).
Community garden working bees: 3rd Saturday of the month 10—11am
Each working bee has a theme where you can learn something new or practise a skill.
Please BYO sun protection, gardening gloves & water bottle and wear closed shoes for gardening

Community compost bays
Open 24/7 – turn your kitchen scraps and shredded paper into food for the garden and reduce landfill & emissions.  See here for what can and can't go in the compost.

Community seed exchange
Share your excess or saved seeds or take some to grow for yourself.
See here for how the seed exchange works.

School holidays cooking & gardening
Grow & Eat, school holiday cooking and gardening activities ($5 / child), held  during the autumn, winter and spring school holidays.
- limited places, booking required

Make & Mend.
Drop in to share your sewing, knitting or crafting skills or get some help to make or mend textile-related items.   BYO project or help make useful items for our community.   Sewing machines available.
Visitors also welcome to drop in for a chat & cup of tea.
1st & 3rd Wed of the month, 1.00 - 4.00pm, See flyer

Workshops, talks and more ....
When there is something special coming up, we'll let you know here:

‘Leaflet’ garden newsletter & email updates
To subscribe to the monthly garden update, sent via email, please contact janet.hoare@southportuniting.org.au

"Leaflet" newsletter is produced seasonally.  Download the latest issue here: Leaflet_59_Summer 2022-23

See the video "Simply Living at Port Melbourne Uniting Church", made by Carla and Jemma as part of the PORTogether project.

Garden support - thankyou
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the garden with seeds, plants, materials or cash donations and to all those who give their time to care for the garden.
Also:
City of Port Phillip Smart Solutions for Community Services program

For more information about the community garden, contact our Simply Living Project Worker, Janet Hoare on 9690 1188 or janet.hoare@southportuniting.org.au