The gardens provide the only opportunity they have to work the soil and grow some of their own food. Most gardeners grow edible vegetables and herbs and choose plants which they ate and farmed in their country of origin. Basil Natoli works as co-ordinator for the community gardens. With the housing estate tenants he established the first of the community gardens in Collingwood in the early 1990s. The project was originally funded by an interchurch association and for the last couple of years by the Department of Human Services.
Future funding is uncertain.
Basil has established monster worm farms and compost bins to recycle garden and household waste and provide compost and fertiliser for the gardens. Twice a year the bins are emptied and the products shared between the gardeners. Next Case Study Basil Natoli mixes ingredients to improve compost at the Fitzroy community gardens. For most of the gardeners, English is not their first language. This sign in Vietnamese in the Collingwood community gardens encourages good composting practice.