New Farm State School Gardens

Gardens for our children and community

Research shows that school gardens have a positive impact on our children’s health, education, and awareness of the physical environment.

Our Gardens Group (a sub-committee of the P&C) is creating thriving, sustainable gardens that grow a love of nature, an understanding of health, and an engaged network of teachers, learners, community volunteers and partners.

Beeston Street Community Garden

In 2021 an exciting new garden project is starting up. We will be building an Indigenous food garden to regenerate the Beeston Street slope next to the oval, at the back entrance to the school. This project received seed funding from the Australian Government’s Communities Environment Program, and will have strong student, teacher and community engagement.

Would you like to know more?

View our latest news stories below to see how things are progressing.

View our Beeston Street Community Garden project page for an in-depth look at what we’re doing.

Little Patch

Little Patch is the organic edible garden next to the tuckshop, Our volunteers work with teachers and students to provide a range of activities, such as seed propagation and planting, worm farm building, pop-up juice bars and classroom cafes.

We also work with a number of community partners, including:

Brisbane City Council – with funding via the Cultivating Community Gardens program
Bunnings Newstead – donating a shed and providing discounted building materials
Howard Smith Wharves – our source of locally made compost
The Talking Toucan Cafe – coffee grounds for fertiliser dressings and milk bottles for making recycled vertical gardens

If you’re interested in becoming a community partners, don’t hestiate to contact us.

What are the benefits of school gardens?

With the school residing in the inner-city area, backyards and green spaces are becoming more precious. Our school gardens are providing opportunities for:

growing, harvesting and preparing of food, which gives children an idea of where food comes from, what time of year it grows, and how it tastes when you pick it
teaching life skills, like growing and cooking food
supporting classroom curriculum across a range of different subject areas, from history to geography to arts and social science
physical and mental benefits, like improving mood or mental fatigue and enhancing gross motor skills
providing social networks within the school community through working cooperatively on real tasks
connecting students, parents, teachers, volunteers and community businesses.

How can I participate?

Contact us or simply drop by Little Patch (between the tuckshop and pool) and say hi to one of our helpers. We’re usually in the vege garden every day from 8.15am until just after 8.45am, as part of our Gardenlife initiative. Gardenlife is a relaxed chance to talk, work and/or socialise in the vege patch and does not require any prior gardening experience.

Gardens Group Contact Details
Julie | gardening@nfsspandc.com.au