Gardens of WA: Claremont community garden brings those of all ages together

We have a funny habit in the modern world of tending to mostly associate with people of our own age. At school and throughout university, the friends we make are often born the same year that we are. Our work colleagues, spouses and friends are usually born within the same decade. While our ancestors lived in small, tight-knit family groups of all ages, these days, outside of immediate family, it’s common to not know a lot about people who aren’t of your own generation. A great many opportunities are missed as a result. Older adults miss being connected to the vibrancy of youth. Young people miss out on the wisdom of age. And we all begin — mistakenly — to think that we don’t have that much in common with people who are older or younger than us. We forget our shared humanity. That is, until we head out into the garden. “It’s called the Claremont community garden. It’s designed for everyone living in and around the oval. All the apartments around the oval are part of a collective group, and other people who live in the vicinity can come and harvest too” explains Jan Saggers, standing among the potted citrus trees at the entrance to the recently established community garden at FORM Cafe. “It’s very new,” she adds, “and at the moment there’s about a dozen active people who come and do busy bees. We’re hoping to get about 30 regular volunteers and potentially expand beyond that.” The apartments, which sit a stone’s throw from the community garden, are Perth’s first ‘multi-aged precinct’; real-estate designed, Jan explains, “to attract people of all ages and stages of life”. The goal is to foster a sense of community by creating accommodation that suits young working couples, families, and retirees alike, along with initiatives that bring them all together. “We had a meeting with some of the residents, and one of the ideas that came up was a community garden,” Jan says. Jan is treasurer of the Claremont Oval village. Along with Dan Midalia (secretary) and local horticulturalist Lorraine Tomlinson, Jan set to work creating the community garden. With the support of FORM Cafe (one of the few not-for-profit art galleries in WA), who provided the space for the garden; Bunnings, who donated plants; the local Men’s Shed, who built raised beds; and a grant from the Department of Community, the garden has come to life. Raised beds overflow with silverbeet, snow peas, broad beans, tomatoes, kale, lettuce and bok choy. “We knew exactly what we wanted to do. We got the group of people together, did the busy bees and now it’s happening,” Jan beams. This garden is young, but it is a sign of things to come — a space for locals to come together, harvest produce, tend plants and get to know one another. If you are a Claremont local who would like an excuse to do a little more gardening, busy bees run every 2-3 weeks. Find out more by emailing claremontovalvillage@gmail.com