Thirroul Community Garden will show off its thriving green space as part of the Illawarra Edible Garden Trail this November.
The garden at the corner of Lawrence Hargrave Drive and High Street will be open from 10am-3pm on Sunday, November 10.
“We’re here to demonstrate sustainable gardening. We don’t use any chemicals, pesticides, or artificial fertilisers,” says Jill Chapman, a regular volunteer for the past seven years.
“We make our own compost, use worm farms, and make weed tea from our green waste to fertilise and improve the soil.
“That keeps everything pretty healthy, and if we need to spray for cabbage moth or anything like that, we use a natural-based spray.”
Run by volunteers, the garden has more than 100 members. It hosts educational visits and workshops, and aims to assist in food security, reduce food waste and protect flora and fauna.
“It’s a very positive space – we get people of all ages. Children visit with their parents, and occasionally a children’s centre will visit with their staff. It’s an opportunity to explore the space, discover insects, birds and lizards,” Jill says.
The garden recently ran a workshop on water bugs. Participants analysed creek water at the site and learned about natural ecosystems. They’ve also hosted workshops on weaving with natural materials and herbal oil making.
“We have gardening working bees twice a week. On Wednesdays, people come from 3pm to 6pm in the winter, and from 4 to 7 in the summer. On Sundays, we say 9am to 12,” Jill says.
“Gardening is a social event too. People attend regularly and we have fun and support each other. For those who love gardening, or want to learn more, it’s a joyous place to visit!”
Council allowed a small shed on site to provide shelter and storage. The group also enjoys their wood-fire pizza oven, a structure built from mud, clay, straw and sand.
“The Wollongong Council has been very supportive. When we had a problem with our compost, their staff member who specialises in that came and advised us,” Jill says.
Thirroul Community Garden is grateful for the support that they receive from the local area.
“We’ve had grants from the council, from Horizon Bank, from flood recovery, and different places. With that funding, we’ve been able to repair things after the floods,” Jill says.
“We recycle surplus unused vegetables from one of the fruit and vegetable shops in Thirroul. Instead of it going to green waste, they don’t have to dispose of it, and we use it to make our compost.”
The group strives to handle challenges in an environmentally conscious way and have installed solar panels to supply power when needed.
“This soil was very degraded when we first came here. It’s taken about 12 years, but now the soil has worms in it and you can see that it’s not as dependent on getting its load of compost all the time to grow good stuff,” Jill says.
“We’re trying to grow more native things like saltbush, native finger limes, and native plum trees. The advantage is that they’re high in healthy things like vitamin C and antioxidants, and they’re well-suited to this climate.”
The garden is looking forward to welcoming guests to its free open day on November 10.
“We’ll have live music, games for the kids, a market stall with food for sale, and people can have a cup of tea,” Jill says. “It’s a very peaceful environment. Once you’re here, especially if you’re up the back, you just kind of get absorbed in nature because we have so many birds.”
