Getting up close and personal with some of the offerings from Griffith’s unique Food Forest are siblings Patrick Bell, 3, Richard Bell, 5, and Grace Bell, 6.
SNIP by snip, Griffith's Food Forest is winning local hearts and minds and finding its way into local stomachs.
The unique concept, located at City Park, allows residents to harvest a bounty of herbs, fruits and nuts at their leisure.
Two months on from the garden's opening and council's environment and health coordinator Abby Smith said its use had outstripped expectations.
"This is a community garden of sorts and it has really brought people together," Ms Smith said.
"It is obviously encouraging healthy eating but it's the social inclusion side that has surprised us most."
Another unexpected benefit, Ms Smith said, was the feedback from hardcore "foodies" in the city.
"There are fresh herbs in there like kaffir lime and lemongrass that you can't always source from local supermarkets so people have really appreciated that," she said.
The Food Forest, funded under the Community Heart Griffith project, includes herbs such as oregano, basil, chives, parsley and thyme, pecan, almond, walnut and pistachio nut tree varieties and a range of citrus fruits.
Close to half the plants are native varieties.
Council is currently drafting letters to local schools and community organisations to enter into partnership to help maintain the Food Forest.
And despite a constant battle with vandals in the neighbouring City Park, Ms Smith said the Food Forest had escaped virtually unscathed so far.
