Just two years ago, a tucked-away section in the council carpark near Woolies at Leura was infested with thickets of blackberry, ivy and myriad other weeds.
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Now, Compost Corner is thriving; the Mall gardens provide the raw materials, and volunteers gather and tend it to turn it into compost which is then returned to the gardens.
The GoLlies (Gardeners of Leura) volunteers of the Leura Village Association collect fallen leaves in autumn and prunings in spring and put them into compost bays. The leaves are mowed to accelerate decomposition.
Then worms and other magical microbes do their bit and the resulting richness is returned to the garden beds, completing a true circular process.
The work of the GoLlies is a living example of improving the environment: It reduces the amount of waste going to landfill, it has reduced the need for green waste pick-ups, thus saving the council money, and it also eliminates the need to buy commercial soil conditioners.
And the gardens are thriving.
There has been a glitch, however. Last week, someone secretly dumped a load of garden waste on one of the piles. Not only that, they helped themselves to a hefty supply of compost which was ready to be spread on the gardens.
The GoLlies are a jolly bunch, bravely gathering once a week, rain, hail or freezing cold, to do their work. But they're not happy to be forced to deal with someone else's rubbish, nor with theft.
So they would like to reiterate that the compost is from and for the Leura Mall gardens only. And that dumping is illegal, as is the theft of material that is destined for the Mall.
On a happier note, they would gladly welcome more volunteers, enjoying the camaraderie that comes with working side-by-side on a positive project that can only contribute to the health of the planet.
Would-be volunteers don't need any prior composting knowledge and can join the group any Thursday at 8am at Compost Corner.
