Bergbron’s little corner of Eden

Sadly, it is a rarity to see a public open space that is neither overgrown nor overflowing with litter, but for a few residents of Bergbron, an eyesore outside of their homes was not an option.

They have worked to clean, enrich and maintain a section of the park on the corner of Bernard and Helderberg Roads. The first tree was planted four years ago by Pierre Beneke who was cleaning up his garden and decided that instead of throwing away the trees he removed, he would plant them in the park across the street. He contacted City Parks who gave him the go-ahead on his project and the beautification began.

Soon after the project began, Pierre’s neighbour got involved and as their work continued, more and more residents approached them asking to plant trees and flowers. Tree by tree and flower by flower, this corner of the park became a stunning suburban Eden and as time progressed, more people got involved. From elderly residents planting trees with their grandchildren, to families planting flowers of remembrance for their fallen loved ones, this has become a spectacular community project. Seeing the good work these residents were doing, City Parks happily provided rubbish bins and a bench for the area, making it even more inviting.

Residents often come with their own plants and trees to add to the garden, which is maintained at the cost of the volunteers. Today, this section of the park is used for weekend picnics, a tranquil space to relax, and some people even use it for their morning prayers. The plan is to expand the area the residents are working on and add more bins and benches until one day, the entire park is a community garden; but to do this, more people will need to get involved.

The expansion of the project has already begun. An elderly resident planted a few aloes in a semi-circle and the residents will be cutting the grass and applying for another bench from City Parks, which will go in the middle of the succulents.

Anyone who is intrigued by this project is invited to join in and bring flowers or trees to plant, seeds to sow, or even just help with cutting the grass or picking up any litter. There is no specific time to do so, or specific person to contact, the community is just invited to take part in making the park a public space residents can be proud of. With more people taking part in this initiative, the area this project covers can be expanded a lot faster and there will be more space for community members to enjoy.