Waverley Community Garden is Sydney’s most popular

So popular is an eastern suburbs’ garden that residents and the council had to defeat a coup from interlopers who launched a bid to take over plots.

With a waitlist for a plot that at one point stretched beyond two years, the exclusively organic Waverley Community Garden in the heart of Bondi Junction is renowned among green thumbs.

Marsh frogs croak merrily from the pond, bushtucker like finger limes, lemon myrtle and rosellas are planted along the fence line and the garden is nurtured by the rainwater tank, worm farm and compost heap.

Anyone is welcome to come and join in with the communal plots, take part in monthly working bees or sample a snippet of the shared bush tucker plantings.

High-rises can be seen behind Waverly Community Garden at Bondi Junction. Picture: Monique Harmer

The only clue you’re in the middle of one the most densely populated areas of Australia is the towers which peek above the banana trees.

“We’re really lucky here to have this little oasis in a concrete jungle,” Waverly Mayor Paula Masselos said.

Of the 45 plots available at the garden, 35 are held by individual families, seven are allocated to community groups and the remainder are shared communally between those eagerly awaiting their turn to be allocated their very own sacred square of dirt.

Kit Shepherd, Tiang Lim Waverly Mayor Paula Masselos, Robert Lewis and Jamila Brigham. Picture: Monique Harmer

The garden, located behind Clementson Park on bustling Ebley St, is well hidden from view and little known to those from surrounding suburbs.

But as its popularity grew, the criteria for plot ownership had to be tightened to only those living in the Waverley area after an unfortunate incident which has gone down in gardening lore.

“Well, we know the people from Paddington know it’s here,” she said.

Lana Herodes and Robert Lewis love to garden. Picture: Monique Harmer

One of the biggest scandals in the garden’s two decade history was when interlopers from neighbouring Woollahra Council area allegedly attempted to stage a coup and take over a number of the prized plots.

The land is now safely back in the hands of locals like Jamila Brigham who lives in an apartment on the same street as the garden.

“I grow things like bitter melon, pigeon peas, different types of chillies and that I like to use in my cooking but it’s hard to always find in the shops,” she said.

Jamila Brigham has had her plot for a decade. Picture: Monique Harmer

Ms Brigham has produced some delicious things during 10 years of plot ownership, but one of the best things she’s grown is her friendship with Vaucluse’s Lana Herodes.

Together the woman saved the marsh frog pond when an insidious crack almost put an end to the newly spawned tadpoles as their amphibian parents looked on helplessly.

“We bucketed it out by hand and only lost two of the 40 tadpoles,” Ms Herodes said.

“I just feel so lucky being able to come and sit in a place like this and look at the frog pond.”

Birrell Street’s Tiang Lim waited more than a year to snag herself a plot.

Tiang Lim getting her hands dirty. Picture: Monique Harmer

She too grows the harder to find ingredients for use in her traditional cooking like taro and a versatile plant called yacon which only produces tubers once a year but has leaves which can be eaten as green or made into tea.

“But now I’m just so excited to be learning about bush tucker,” Ms Lim said.

“I have a dream to create my own edible native garden which of course will be water wise.”

To find out more about the garden visit [e-mail]