Inclusivity the key ingredient at Yarrabilba Community Garden
Everyone’s welcome at Yarrabilba Community Garden.
Beginner gardeners, people of all abilities, people with additional needs, people of all ages – it doesn’t matter to garden managers Tom and Talecia Bolton. The more the merrier.
They’ve taken over the garden on the edge of Shaw Steet Oval and, after spending most of 2022 clearing it and readying it for collaboration, they are hoping it will become a hub of the community.
Talecia says they started cleaning up the garden last year and, when previous owners moved on, eventually investigated taking it over. She knew gardening was good for her mental health and after becoming disabled with a neurological condition in 2020, she had found herself quite lonely and isolated.
‘I suddenly couldn’t work or drive and was very limited – I felt I was stuck at home all the time and not going out and seeing people or doing life, so it really began to impact my mental health,’ Talecia says.
‘Before that, when I ran a family daycare, I did some gardening with the kids and loved it, but I wasn’t a very experienced gardener.
‘One thing which really helped my mental health was being out in the fresh air too, so Tom and I thought we would investigate reactivating the garden.
‘Community gardens are a fantastic resource for people with mental health issues. There is so much to be gained from gardening and getting out there with other members of the community.’
After transferring lease holders a few times, the garden was inactive and overgrown, and the couple worked to clear the weeds and create not just any community garden – but one that was accessible to all.
‘There has been a lot to do to make it accessible; we cleaned up and ensured the raised beds are safe to use for those who can’t bend down and wide walkways without any loose pebbles or bumpy ground for wheelchairs and walkers,’ Talecia says.
‘We received a grant from Logan City Council to improve the soil and help us get the garden up and running, for which we are extremely grateful.
‘We are having new edging put in, which Reclink , who provide traineeships to disadvantaged Australians, is helping us with. They are such a great organisation and we are so pleased to have their support.
‘We have been trying to get the word out that the garden is up and running and when we are here a lot of people want to stop and talk about it, they think it is a great idea.
‘We really want this to be for everyone – even if you have never gardened before, even if you just want to watch, if you are young, old, if you can only spare a few minutes every now and then – we want everyone to feel a part of it.
‘The main thing is that it is here for the community to enjoy.’
Talecia says since 2020, she has been surprised at how many places aren’t fully accessible to wheelchair users.
‘Often even places who think they have considered accessibility are quite difficult for me to navigate,’ she says.
Yarrabilba Community Garden’s working bees are held on the first weekend of every month, beginning in February – the first one with be on 4 February from 8 am. You can contact Tom and Talecia at yarrabilbacommunitygarden@gmail.com or via the garden’s Facebook page Yarrabilba Community Garden.
