Three generations of one family tell us about life in Gardenia.
My name is Anna and I’m 10 years old. I live in Gardenia with my Dad. When we first moved here, Grandpa Ray lived with us in our garden room, but I don’t really remember that because I was a baby then.
I go to school in Gardenia, it’s by the community hub – so quite close to where we live. Now that I’m 10, Dad lets me ride my bike to school on my own. I stick to the cycle paths and meet my best friend Aisha halfway by the allotments or the orchard. If it’s raining, we take the e-bus instead.
I really like school. We get to go to the city farm every week and learn about growing vegetables. My Grandpa Ray lives nearby in the retirement village and volunteers at the farm. Last week we helped him to plant strawberries – they’re my favourite.
We’re about to start a new project at school about birds. So we’re going to explore the linear garden and listen out for the first birds nesting in the ‘bird hotels’. I already know five different types of birdsong.
We’re also using a new app to record data about things like how much water we’ve used, how far we’ve cycled or how much food we’ve grown. The information is displayed at each of the community share stations and even at the main community hub! The most sustainable and productive person wins a really cool prize each month.
After school, I normally go straight to the playing fields or one of the parks with my friends. If it’s hot Dad takes me to the swimming pool. He says the pools are natural and there to help drain the land.
My favourite thing about Gardenia is the tower near my school. It’s really tall and has plants growing all the way up it. You can climb the stairs all the way to the top and see for miles.There’s always lots of events and markets happening around there too.
At the harvest festival last year Dad and I had a stall and we sold twelve jars of our homemade jam.
As a child of Gardenia, Anna has a healthy awareness of her impact on the environment and is able to enjoy being a part of the community that is connected to nature. Through innovation, technology and ownership she is shaping the future of living successfully and happily in the 21st century garden city.
Re-Imagining the Garden City
