Garnet, Tony and Mary are part of Green Square Growers (GSG), a community gardening group that cultivates beds at Joynton Avenue and Tote Park.

According to Tony, Green Square is home to a very mixed demographic that includes busy full-time workers and their unemployed or retired counterparts, which means residents have varying amounts of time to dedicate to GSG. As a result, the group takes a random approach to community gardening, with no strict membership model; instead, people are invited to plant, water or harvest any time they like.

For both Mary and Tony, GSG has been a launchpad for collective gardening in their homes. Mary found GSG on Facebook after she moved to the Green Square area and was looking for more gardening space. She has made good friends from GSG and has connected with many members of the local Chinese community.

‘Since the garden was established, I’ve met a lot of people. I have a good sense of community there now – it makes me feel more involved,’ she says.

Mary often puts visitors to Green Square to work in the gardens. For example if grandparents from overseas are visiting family in the area, she shows them what is growing and which weeds to pull out. She also does a lot of the individual labelling of plants, responding to repeated questions from passers-by about what’s being grown in the garden.

Garnet also joined GSG soon after he moved to Green Square. He was living on his own and wanted to get to know his local community. He takes pride in the garden beds and brings friends to visit them. He also passes them on his morning jogs.

‘It’s a nice thing to just know [the gardening beds] are there, that something is happening there,’ he says.

The members of GSG take great care in their work, but they see gardening as a social activity rather than a competition. They often meet up to do maintenance work or plant seeds, but they don’t harvest much for themselves; instead, they’re happy to share their yields with other community members.

Gardening is also a way to expand the reach and impact of community gardening more broadly. GSG members take their gardening skills with them wherever they go, sharing them with others and sparking an ever-growing interest in gardening and in more sustainable practices in Sydney and beyond.

Mary: ‘It’s nice to be part of a social network that extends beyond the garden.’