Kambala Community Garden

When Tony Papard and his life-partner moved to McDermott Close forty years ago the area at the back of the block was a children’s playground with swings, etc. Then this equipment was removed by the council and the area became neglected and overgrown.

The Residents’ Association helped with council support to:

  • Cut back the bushes, 
  • Rebuilt the decaying walls around the raised flowerbeds, 
  • Erected six gates leading from the surrounding blocks into the garden and 
  • Keys to the padlocks (for these gates) were given to residents, via the association.

The Council also provided two tables and eight chairs for the garden and installed a tap for watering the beds,  together with lighting.

Several barbecues were held in the garden with musical entertainment. Residents from other blocks in Kambala were also invited, courtesy of the Residents Association.

Tony has now taken over the rental for the shed where the hosepipe and gardening tools are kept. He waters the beds in Summer and maintains a small plot, with rose bushes, in memorial for his deceased mother and life-partner.

In one of the gardens backing on to the Community Garden is a tree which bears lots of grapefruit. The area is quite sheltered, to allow them to grow to full size, and these are edible – if a little dry.

The Community Garden is a pleasant place to sit in the good weather, and for all residents of the surrounding blocks to have full access, the locks have now been removed from the gates by the council. If KERA decides to hold more barbecues or other events in the garden, invited residents (from other blocks) would need to have access via one of the Entry-phone doors, by ringing someone’s Smartphone to let them in.

During the pandemic residents were using the garden for exercising and to just sit out in the open air enjoying the environment. Recently the council collected all the rubbish in the garden and cut back the bushes. With the help of the council and KERA the garden should be a pleasant place for residents to enjoy, for years to come.