Spring is in the air and there’s no better time to visit our local Turramurra Lookout Community Garden.

If you are in Turramurra around lunchtime – do yourself a favour – grab your lunch in the Turramurra Village and pop across the road to enjoy a quiet break in the Turramurra Lookout Community Garden under the canopy of the crab apple tree.

For over seven years now, the Turramurra local community have been enjoying the fruits of the TLC Garden. Its creation has been a labour of love for many – but was originally initiated by John Dailey – Garden President, and 2016 winner of the Ku-ring-gai Citizen of the Year Award, and Julie Antill who collaborated with the community and council, eventually resulting in a home for the garden at Lookout Park.

A $20,000 foundation grant from the Turramurra and Lindfield Community Bank branches was used to initiate ground works on the sloping block and establish the base for this wonderful community space. Since then the garden has evolved and flourished with approximately 55 members and many community groups enjoying the space regularly. Eight years on and a considerable amount of work later, there is now a well-established garden with both communal areas and 24 individual plots.

The garden has become a place for socialising and learning for the like-minded community members who gather to tend to the garden each Saturday. Members learn from each other and often have guest speakers on topics relating to gardening and sustainable living. The highlight for many each Saturday, is the sometimes lengthy and always delicious morning tea held after each working bee.

The small dedicated committee recently received a Community Service Environmental Award, recognising the efforts the garden has made in its organic approach since inception.

“It is great to see our efforts being recognised. We work very hard at our organic approach using tank water, drip irrigation, worm farms and native bees. We also make our own comfrey tea, weed tea and worm tea. We make our own compost and collect local veggie offcuts and coffee discards for use in that compost. It really is a community effort” John Dailey – TLC Garden President

The Turramurra and Lindfield Community Bank branches are immensely proud to have been involved with this rewarding community project. We would like to congratulate John and the TLC Garden committee on the recent award and acknowledge the hard work they have put into this beautiful community space.