Let Costa Inspire You to Start a Community Garden and Reap the Rewards

Let Costa Inspire You to Start a Community Garden and Reap the Rewards

ABC TV’s heartwarming/breaking reality series Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds is almost at an end — but that doesn’t mean that the friendships this show has built are over. And the final episode of Season 2 calls on a special guest to keep the good vibes going: gardening guru Costa!

Costa is quite possibly the most wholesome presenter on Australian TV. He has such a passion for gardening that it’s infectious, even if you don’t watch Gardening Australia. Plus he’s dressed in a bee costume.

Costa builds a community garden
Incredibly wholesome image brought to you by ABC TV

“Bees don’t have beards,” as one of the kids rightly points out. Nothing gets past a four-year-old.

“When we make a garden it’s for everyone,” Costa tells the group. “The best thing about a community garden is that it brings everyone together.”

You’ll be pleased to know that this community garden is staying put — it’s not just a fun project for the final episode of the show. The whole point of Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds is to foster new relationships and keep them going long-term. And a community garden serves as the perfect excuse to meet up regularly.

If the absolute write-off that was 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we all need connection. Many of us felt a deeper connection to our local communities last year, be it by visiting our local cafes or actually seeing our neighbours. So it’s not hard to see why the older participants in this ABC experiment long for that same experience.

To be fair, it can be pretty intimidating to make new friends as an adult, but community projects like gardening are a great ice-breaker.

How can I get involved in a community garden?

Excellent question. We know that gardening — or forest bathing if you just want to take a stroll outside — is a form of mindfulness and can help reduce stress. Even better if you end up with some fresh food to eat at the end of it!

If you Google “community garden near me” there are heaps already on the go. They even come with reviews so you can get a vibe check before turning up. If there isn’t an existing community garden within distance to you, hit up your local council to see if they have plans to start one, or even some vacant space for you to get one going.

Local councils also run gardening workshops, so even if you don’t have a large plot to play with, you can still enjoy the benefits of gardening in your own backyard. City of Sydney council, for example, runs gardening workshops on everything from growing edible plants on your balcony, to pruning fruit trees.

If you’re lucky enough to have a front yard, you can turn it into a veggie patch that also acts as a talking point for passersby. You may be surprised how many people will stop to have a chat after seeing some delicious fruit and veggies growing. And if you have surplus stock, bundle it up and either offer it to your neighbours as a gift or leave it out the front of your place with a note as a lovely pick-me-up for anyone walking by.

Pick up some gardening tips from Costa on the final episode of Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds on ABC TV on Tuesday 4 May at 8.30pm, or catch up on the entire series on iview. Just make sure you have tissues handy.


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