The Avenel Community Garden forms part of the Avenel Action Group (AvAG) four-year plan and aims to promote education and community socialisation through gardening.
AvAG president, Jeff Moran said the group had provided the initial $5000, with generous donations from Fowles Wines and community members fueling the project's momentum.
"It's an ownership thing," former school teacher, Mr Moran said.
"It also gives students knowledge of where food comes from and the concept of 'if you nurture it, it will grow'."
It gives students knowledge of where food comes from.
- AvAG president, Jeff Moran.
The Avenel Community Garden consists of 10 wicking beds, which are basically containers with water reservoirs at the base - like giant self-watering pots.
Plants are watered from below rather than above.
As moisture is drawn up through the soil via a process called wicking, it is more evenly distributed through the soil, facilitating better growing conditions for the plants.
Mr Moran said the beds were essentially a 1.2-metre apple box about one-metre high lined with a plastic sleeve to prevent water loss.
Students placed scoria in the beds first. A permeable membrane topped that and then they added quality garden soil.
"Once the beds are filled with water to an overflow point half way up the box the water in the scoria will permeate and last for some time depending on the temperature and evaporation," Mr Moran said.
"In summer it means that the beds can last up to two weeks without watering."
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation CEO Josephine Duffy said the dream was to see the food education program running behind every subject taught.
"We'd love to see the gardens used for cross-curricular, interdisciplinary, project-based, inquiry-led learning," Ms Duffy said.
