When COVID lockdowns hit, Redan\u2019s Vicky Robinson said she saw her community feeling lonelier than ever before.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an impact I was seeing on people after repetitive lockdowns,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019d stand from the outside looking out at what was happening and thought people were looking sad and unhappy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
An avid and longtime gardener, Ms Robinson\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Beginning with spearmint, her Redan Plant Swap stand now includes in strawberries, camomile, succulents, spring onions, tomatoes, and herbs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe find a lot of people take the food plants and start growing their own food as well,\u201d Ms Robinson said.<\/p>\n
With an average of five to 10 people engaging with the stand per week, Ms Robinson said her venture quickly garnered attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cPassersby were just stopping, having conversations, talking about what they were feeling, taking a plant and sometimes bringing one to swap over,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gave them something to do and look forward to. Even for myself, it\u2019s provided a natural-based therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it\u2019s about watching the people and having conversations with them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had stories where there\u2019s been people with additional needs go on their daily outing and want to specifically come here to see what plants there are.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had the elderly people some of which have dropped of bags of soil. We\u2019ve had younger people who\u2019ve not had the best start in life where it\u2019s been a welcoming for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve opened up a community of people who are all welcomed with no discrimination. I don\u2019t look at someone and think I won\u2019t communicate with them because we just don\u2019t know what\u2019s behind their story.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When COVID lockdowns hit, Redan\u2019s Vicky Robinson said she saw her community feeling lonelier than ever before. \u201cThere was an impact I was seeing on people after repetitive lockdowns,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019d stand from the outside looking out at what was happening and thought people were looking sad and unhappy. \u201cThey were losing that connection […]<\/p>\n