Three $3,000 grants are made annually to support community garden projects. Here are this year's winners.

The Balaklava Community Garden 

This small Community Garden, created in 2019, has an orchard of six fruit trees. The members struggle to throw netting each year to prevent birds from eating the ripe apricots, peaches, pears and nectarines.

Open Gardens SA’s grant of $3,000 will resolve the issue.

The local engineering business, Cunninghams, will build a permanent metal frame to cover the orchard, ready for the members to throw a net over.

The Balaklava Community Garden has a mixture of private and community plots, including wicking beds, a bush tucker garden, and raised veggie beds. About six people tend to the community beds and the chooks. There are also eight individual plots and two school student plots. Two primary school classes a week help with gardening jobs.

There’s a monthly produce stall where locals can buy produce and drop in for a friendly chat.

The Community Garden plays a crucial role in a country town doing it tough.

Kumangka Community Garden - North Brighton 

This all-inclusive and accessible community garden is on the southern side of the North Brighton Minda precinct.

Minda leases the site for the community garden, on the understanding that Minda residents could also participate in or enjoy the garden.

Open Gardens SA’s grant will fund the purchase and installation of an irrigation system to support fruit trees planted this winter in the orchard on the northern side of the garden, including a conservation area and children’s garden.

The Blinman Community Garden 

The Blinman community of about 50 people lives a 5-hour round trip from Port Augusta, so fresh produce is not as regular as they would like.

Martin Phillips, a retired engineer and dive instructor, and his family have donated land for the Community Garden. The remaining Blinman area is now Crown land that cannot be developed. What began as a bare piece of land nine months ago is now ready to become a functioning, productive facility that will significantly benefit the local community.

Open Gardens SA’s grant will fund enough growing medium, compost, etc., to fill 16 free-standing wicking beds and install a watering system.

Thanks to the grant, they estimate that they can start planting veggies in the next six weeks.

It is a pleasure to assist these three community gardens by using funds raised from entry fees to open gardens each year. 
Applications for 2025 will open soon.