Plant stand seeding community growth

When COVID lockdowns hit, Redan’s Vicky Robinson said she saw her community feeling lonelier than ever before.

“There was an impact I was seeing on people after repetitive lockdowns,” she said. “I’d stand from the outside looking out at what was happening and thought people were looking sad and unhappy.

“They were losing that connection with one another. People were really hesitant to chat and connect even though we were just on opposite sides of the fence.”

An avid and longtime gardener, Ms Robinson’s solution to the shared isolation she was feeling was to craft a wooden stall with her family to give away free plants at front of her home.

Beginning with spearmint, her Redan Plant Swap stand now includes in strawberries, camomile, succulents, spring onions, tomatoes, and herbs.

“We find a lot of people take the food plants and start growing their own food as well,” Ms Robinson said.

With an average of five to 10 people engaging with the stand per week, Ms Robinson said her venture quickly garnered attention.

“Passersby were just stopping, having conversations, talking about what they were feeling, taking a plant and sometimes bringing one to swap over,” she said.

“It gave them something to do and look forward to. Even for myself, it’s provided a natural-based therapy.”

Functioning like a typical swap stand, passersby are able to take a plant as they wish as well as leave one if they choose to.

Ms Robinson said the aim behind the stall now that lockdowns are over is to continue fostering a safe and connected space for people who pass by.

“For me it’s about watching the people and having conversations with them,” she said.

“I’ve had stories where there’s been people with additional needs go on their daily outing and want to specifically come here to see what plants there are.

“We’ve had the elderly people some of which have dropped of bags of soil. We’ve had younger people who’ve not had the best start in life where it’s been a welcoming for them.

“We’ve opened up a community of people who are all welcomed with no discrimination. I don’t look at someone and think I won’t communicate with them because we just don’t know what’s behind their story.”