Kitchen Garden: a community garden reaching great heights

Two towers of 240 residential units rise to 20  floors and there are commercial premises at ground level. First residents moved in to Sentinel in November 2013 and the Sentinel Community Garden Group was created following expressions of interest from residents at a quarterly forum meeting. Their preference was for larger communal gardens of produce to be available to anyone living in the complex rather than providing individual plots allocated to specific people.

There are five garden bed areas but the main vegetable and herb beds are on podium level fuve near a residents’ gym, barbecue area and pool. The garden group wants more than a few pots on an apartment balcony and are keen to dig in soil and plant edibles. For three years there had been poor service from contract gardeners so the  body corporate committee provided a modest budget of funds and was happy to allow the resident-driven group to manage the gardens on their own.

Co-leader of the group Alastair Wilson says first plantings in the garden beds were in autumn 2017 but their efforts were affected by winter frosts, high winds and an inadequate irrigation system. However, with more site experience the project has been a resounding success with an assured future.

They are still experimenting to find what will grow best and be popular such as bok choi, kale, spinach, silver beet and leeks. Summer salad greens, particularly rocket, spring onions, lettuce and chives were a success as were capsicums, snow peas and chillies. Broad beans are currently flowering and butter beans have just been planted. Some residents offered cash in appreciation and others donated tools or pots of plant seedlings.

The developer who built Sentinel had planted magnolias and viburnums and groundcovers of ivy or convolvulus in a medium covering of soil over builders’ rubble. The architects had not planned for a community garden. The ACT Government Community Garden Grant has enabled the group to improve soil quality, add manure and mulch, replace inadequate irrigation and purchase shrubs, seedlings, herbs and flowers and several large fibreglass planters.

Twin worm farms are filled regularly with vege peelings and other kitchen food waste which provides useful worm castings and "worm juice" fertiliser. Rainwater harvesting from roofs and paving fills a large tank in the basement and is used to water garden beds.

Two apple trees have been planted and espaliered as an experiment in fruit production. Herbs filling the beds include rosemary, sage, thyme, coriander, sweet and Thai basil, flat leaf and curly parsley, marjoram and oregano. Celery and fennel are being tried.

Not so successful are rhubarb and broccoli, while cucumbers and eggplant turned out to be difficult, as were experiments with tomatoes which suffered damage from winds that tear between the residential towers.

Noticeboards in foyers and lifts advise the residents when kitchen produce is ready for harvesting and newsletters keep them abreast of progress in the gardens.

Wilson has shared two recipes in which produce from the Sentinel gardens is used. The first is a favourite cooked by his partner and it comes from Belconnen Fresh Food Markets. The second is his own invention.

Chilli prawn with lime and coriander

2 birds-eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (from garden)

1 cup fresh coriander leaves (from garden)

4 green shallots, trimmed and sliced (from garden)

1kg medium green prawns, peeled and deveined

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 lime, cut into wedges

steamed jasmine rice to serve

Marinade: With a tablespoon of peanut oil in a large bowl, add the sugar, lime juice, zest, chillies, sweet chilli sauce and half the coriander leaves. Then add the prawns and combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a wok over high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Throw in onions first to soften , then the prawn mix. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until prawns are pink and just cooked through.

To serve: Serve on steamed jasmine rice and cover with the extra coriander leaves. Plate lime wedges to taste.

Sausage and mash with garden greens

small handful broccoli Bambino heads with stalks (from garden)

silver beet leaves with stalks (from garden) or kale/spinach/bok choi

small handful curly leaf parsley (from garden)

head of mint (from garden)

6 lamb and rosemary sausages

1 medium-sized sweet potato, cut into quarters

1 Desiree potato cut in quarters

1 cob sweet corn (optional)

In a large pot cook potatoes and corn with mint for flavour. Cook sausages in frypan on medium to high heat. Heat water in steamer to boiling and, when both sausages and potatoes are nearly ready, toss broccolini and green leaves into the steamer and cover for 2-3 minutes. Mash the potatoes with butter and a little milk. Pepper to taste (no salt).