TELL ME MORE
TELL ME MORE
About the kaupapa
Grow Forrest Hill aims to be an inspiring space with an emphasis on landscaping and design, recognizing the importance of living and occupying beautiful spaces. It is a productive learning space, acknowledging that we need to find new ways to steward and care for our whenua. And it is a welcoming space with no fences, acknowledging that people thrive when they feel connected to the neighbourhood and people around them.
How does it work?
Grow Forrest Hill is a community garden. That means everyone gardens together, sharing the fruit (and veggies) of our labour. Anything that is harvested is distributed amongst those at the weekly working bee. Any excess produce is left on the Community Produce Stand. We host regular working bees, workshops, and community dinners, all with the aim of getting to know our neighbours.
What’s on at the garden
Come down and say hi. We have weekly working bees on Sundays from 2 -4 pm where we harvest, learn something new, and have a bite to eat. The bonus is that we distribute what we harvest to those who turn up to these working bees.
We also host educational workshops on a bunch of topics and hold fun-filled festivals throughout the year. We also have an outdoor kitchen, kitted out with a pizza oven, and host regular community dinners and cooking classes.
To learn more about what is happening each week, click the link below.
If you’d like to host a school or community event here, just reach out.
Our grand opening in February 2022.
Can I help?
While fruit might grow on trees, money sure doesn’t. If you’d like to donate to the running costs of the garden, or if you run a business and want to support us through sponsorship, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Latest News
We write a regular newsletter that goes out to our subscribers. Subscribe below to make sure you are in the know about what is happening at the garden.
The Community Produce Stand
You might have found us through our popular Community Produce Stand on Seine Road. When the first lockdown occurred in 2020, we thought we would share the love, and start offering free seedlings to our neighbours. The stand took on a life of its own, and now has daily deliveries of fruit, veggies, and seedlings from neighbours near and far.
This stand is now in partnership with Pātaka Kai, a network of free open street pantries across Aotearoa. Find out more about their work at www.patakai.co.nz
You can find the stand on the corner of Seine Reserve. The corner of Seine Road and Tiber Street to be exact. If you are interested in other food pantries, community meals, or other community gardens in our area, see our food map here.
Community Composting Hub
We are a bit ‘soil mad’ around here, and who wouldn’t be? Great soil is the foundation of great food.
We used to run a community collection point for food waste, but this was closed in early 2026. You can read more about this decision here.
If you want to learn more about composting, it is a regular fixture at each working bee. We also run a composting club on the first Sunday of each month. Read more about our composting system by clicking the link below.
Outdoor Kitchen
There is one thing we love more than vegetables at Grow, and that is you. Getting to know our neighbours. This kitchen is designed to facilitate more hanging out, and more eating pizza. We will be hosting regular community dinners and cooking workshops. Keep an eye on our social media for more information. Learn more about the kitchen by clicking the button below.
Hiring the garden
Grow Forrest Hill is a community garden, and a beautiful space to come and enjoy any time of the week. We often get asked if the space is for hire, and the answer is, Yes.
If you would like us to reserve the space for an event, get access to the glasshouse, or our range of equipment for shade, seating, and outdoor games, these are available when you hire the space. Learn more by clicking below.
The Crew
We love all our garden community, but there are a few special folk who put in the extra mile.
Phoebe
Helen
Garden Manager
Trustee
Garden Coordinator
Knowledge Bank
Scott
Dave
Chief Composter
Trust Treasurer
Pizza Chef
Trust Chair
Grow Forrest Hill is run through the Grow Collective Charitable Trust. We are a registered charity, who looks after all the legal stuff, so passionate gardeners can get on with what they love doing.
If you are interested in starting a local community garden, contact us and let’s chat about how we could help.