Clarendon Vale Community Park – Tucker Garden

The Community Spaces Team had a fantastic time planting out a new community native tucker garden in the Clarendon Vale Community Park, with over forty grade 3 and 4 students from John Paul II Catholic School. The Tucker Garden has been created so locals can access native food plants grown in the garden. It is located in the Clarendon Vale Community Park, on the corner of Gasnier and Bradman Streets, Clarendon Vale. 

The Tucker Garden took a year to design and community members researched and voted on what edible native plants they wanted to grow. As soon as the good weather arrived, work on the garden started. One Community Together teamed up with volunteers from the Tranmere and Clarence Plains Land and Coastcare Group (TACPLACI), John Paul II students, teachers, and local volunteers to get the baby plants into the ground. Clarence City Council also helped out and have supported us along the way.

Before we planted, and while the tiny seedlings were busy growing big and strong at the Plant Nursery of Tasmania, the grade 3 and 4 students read all about the seedlings and found out how they grow, so they could make special plant guards to protect them. 

The school Term kicked off with students designing their guards, including handy “how to use this plant” drawings that helped identify the plant and the student they belonged to. We also installed a number of large mud stone rocks as a design and safety feature, to provide barriers for the plants and to keep them safe from being walked or ridden over. 

Sadly, as the months have passed, the special plant guards that the students made have all disappeared. This is so disappointing for the students, who put so much effort into making the guards, and for everyone else involved in the garden. If anyone knows where the guards may have gone, we’d love to have them back in the garden as they are really helpful to know what has been planted and how to use the plant as it grows up.

The Community Spaces Team, along with a dedicated group of local community members and the TACPLACI group have continued to hold working bees at the garden, recently planting some new baby plants, weeding and laying down a heap of fresh mulch. 

We will continue to hold working bees in the garden so keep an eye on our Facebook page for times and dates – everyone is welcome so please come along and join us. You’ll meet some great people and have a great time… hope to see you soon!