Sumner van-Asch Community Garden
Address: 86 Heberden Ave, Sumner (Open in Google Maps)
Ward: Hagley-Ferrymead Ward
Established: 2011
Regular Hours: Tuesdays 9am-12pm
Sumner Van Asch Community Garden
Our mission is to provide local residents with a peaceful oasis in the heart of Sumner in which to meet and make connections with their neighbours. As we work together to grow healthy fruits and vegetables, we build strong friendships, we learn new skills and we stay fit through gardening activities. It's a feel-good thing!
We believe that healthy soil = healthy crops = healthy people so we use organic principles and techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting and enrich the soil with compost made from local materials such as manure, seaweed, comfrey and kitchen waste. We do not spray our crops with pesticides, use commercially made fertilizer or use other nasty chemicals in the garden.
The Sumner Community Garden is fortunate to have it's growing space in the beautiful grounds of van Asch Deaf Education Centre. The history of food production here dates back to the early 1900's when a horticultural area and even a small farm were established to provide food for the residential staff and students. The Community Garden relocated to this site in 2011 after the earthquakes made the original garden on Wakefiled Avenue unsafe due to rockfall. In 2014 an additional growing space was made available to the group on the site of the school's old laundry block. This has been established as an enriching community food forest. We are supported by Sumner Bays Union Trust and also run an annual pea straw delivery fundraiser.
We welcome anybody with an interest in food and gardening. No experience is needed, as we believe that everyone's contribution to the Community Garden is valuable and that we are all learning together. Our volunteers contribute in many different ways, e.g. participating in the regular Tuesday morning garden sessions, winter pruning, garden planning /design, one off carpentry jobs and participation in working bees. If you are unable to make a rugular commitment, donations of seedlings trays and punnets or tools and equipment are appreciated just as much. Or.... just come down and join us for morning tea and a chat! We look forward to seeing you soon.
