Time for a street garden update: This patch used to be a neighbourhood rubbish dumping place and I was sick of getting up each morning and clearing up other people's rubbish. I organised a group of friends to plant it out with no-cost cuttings from my mother's garden and other gardens. We planted it out over 3 years ago. The rubbish dumping stopped and has never resumed. This was a way more effective approach to prevent rubbish dumping than a sign telling people not to dump rubbish.

We knew we were onto something. We formed a group and since then we have grown lots of plants from free cuttings and helped plant out gardens that are now thriving. An important part of why we are successful is we don't do this as a charity. We are invited to help by local people who take charge. They tell us what they want help with, what their vision is and they look after the garden afterwards. It is their garden, not ours.

We are now collaborating with local not-for-profits who are helping us as we help them. Our group had a problem. We had hardly any space to look after cuttings as they grew ready for the next planting. Now another community organisation has given us space to store our cuttings over winter.

Over winter we have been working on improving the management of our group and planning an exciting series of activities for the next 6 months or so, all about helping our neighbours connect with each other and uplift our neighbourhood. This includes helping the not-for-profit who is helping us by helping them work with community in a different way.

It is still baby steps as we feel our way forward. But I am excited about our prospects and we are gaining some new volunteers.

(Gardening commentary in the alternative text)

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