A peaceful green oasis, the Community Garden nestles between St Francis Bay village and Santareme. A haven for birds and for little creatures like chameleons, frogs and skinks, it is a resource to treasure. It was brought into being by the community and it is cared for by the community – no Parks Department here, just residents who care. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr and Mrs Potts, to Ed and Dusty Elton, and to the Links. They quietly work in the garden, cutting and pruning, weeding and planting, clearing away the garden refuse, and keeping it tamed but natural. The Kromme Enviro-Trust thanks them all.
Robin Simpson, in The Monument Around Us, describes how the garden came to be. He tells us that Colin Hall moved into a holiday home in Sardinia Road, with a superb outlook over the Granny’s Pool area and the wild, rugged valley and trickling stream which lay between Santareme and St Francis Bay. He was conscious that the beautiful valley was public open space and he conceived the idea, around 1985, of making it into an indigenous public garden. No public funds were available, so he funded it himself, and continued to do so right into the new century. By then the garden was well established, and members of the Kromme Trust such as Godfried Potgieter took over responsibility for its upkeep. And in time, the Eltons and the Potts and St Francis Links came to be the stalwarts who keep this beautiful wild creation under control for us all to enjoy. Kudos to you for this great contribution.
The Enviro-Trust provides financial assistance when required, and if you would like to make a contribution to this cause, you can contact us.
