Introducing the Baldivis Community Garden

Most of us are aware of the benefit of eating food we’ve grown ourselves. Home-grown fruit, vegetables and herbs are fresher and more nutritious than those bought in a supermarket, where fresh produce is often bred to survive long periods on the shelf, or transported from interstate or even overseas (lemons from the USA? Really?)

And if you’ve ever heard anyone say, ‘tomatoes just don’t taste like they used to’ – it’s because it’s probably true. There is nothing more delicious than a sun-ripened tomato or snow pea picked fresh from the vine. 

There are other benefits to spending time growing things, and that’s the mental and physical health benefits. Scientific studies have shown that gardening can improve your mood, making you feel more peaceful and content. It also increases exposure to Vitamin D, it’s an enjoyable and gentle aerobic activity, and helps combat loneliness. 

So imagine if you could have all that, right in the heart of your own community, enjoying the outdoors and growing food with your neighbours and other like-minded community members?

The Baldivis Community Garden, located within the Frasers Property Baldivis Grove community off Eighty Road, began as a way for residents to come together and get to know each other, while having fun and learning about growing food and taking care of the environment. Its mission is ‘To bring the community together and teach our children where real food comes from’, and right from the start, when they were first given the land by Frasers Property Australia, that’s what it did. The first members got busy building and filling garden beds, holding workshops, installing compost bins and worm farms, and organising a committee in order to manage the garden. 

The project was such a success and attracted so many members that in 2019 Frasers Property offered an extra piece of land, which is currently being incorporated into the existing garden.

To keep the garden flourishing over the years, the Community Garden committee has sourced grants to supplement the membership fees and donations. Sponsorship's from local businesses are also very welcome! Sponsorship packages are available from $200. Contact team@bcgarden.org.au 

If you’re a local who loves gardening and community, why not consider membership? As well as providing plots to grow and harvest produce, a Community Garden membership also offers priority bookings to regular events and workshops, working bees, plenty of helpful advice and guidance, the use of tools, facilities and compost, and access to the produce grown in the community plots. 

Plots are highly sought after and range from Singles plots at $15 per year to $55 for Small Groups and $100 per year for Family size plots. When a plot becomes available, it is announced on the Community Garden Facebook page, at meetings, and through newsletters. If you’d to be added to the waiting list, please email baldiviscommunitygarden6171@gmail.com 

Lots of fun events are held throughout the year; the annual seed savers swap meet will be held in spring, and the City of Rockingham will be holding another series of Grow.Cook.Eat workshops over six weeks in October and November. Stay tuned for more information about these events coming soon!

Find out more, and how you can get involved, on the Baldivis Community Garden Facebook page. You can also follow the Baldivis Community Garden Instagram page.

Getting involved is a wonderful way to make new friends, keep fit and healthy, learn new skills, and get the whole family connected with nature and fresh produce to nourish your body, mind and soul! 

Baldivis Grove is a wonderful community, very friendly and welcoming, so if you’re new – or even if you’re not! – come on down, have a look around and chat with other members. Baldivis Community Garden opening hours are from 8.30am on Fridays, and 8:30am on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. 

Don’t forget – if you ever want to get in touch with us about any news or questions related to our community, please reach out to communitywa@frasersproperty.com.au.