The community garden experience < community garden people

A PLACE TO POTTER, RELAX, MUNCH

Eilean Watson with gourd.

Eilean Watson is an organiser. For Eilean, everything has a place and that’s where you should find it. Eilean has been a major force in the organisation of the UNSW Community Permaculture Garden.

"At one stage I took on the role of coordinator simply because nobody else was interested… it’s the side of community gardening that not too many people want to do because we all want to get our hands dirty… it’s often the side that gets neglected", she explained.

Getting in touch with nature

For Eilean, The garden she has played such an intense role in is more than a place to grow vegetables. "I like to come here and just potter… it’s a place not so much to escape but to relax and get in touch with nature.

"Often, I’ll come here at lunchtime… munch on something that’s growing… I’ve become quite a muncher… I’ll check things then go back to work", she said.

The people side

There is a people side to community gardens which Eilean believes is very important. How decisions are made can make or break a garden. " …the human communication side… I find that trying to work through a consensus seeking system instead of people doing just what they want to do without asking others… I find that’s been the hardest. We’ve got to try to allow everyone to have an opinion".

Eilean’s advice for people involved in community initiatives is straightforward. "You’ve got to try to balance things… you’ve got to have the process bit about how you do things… and then the outcomes thing which is actually doing it".

PAGE UPDATED... Tuesday, 15 January 2002