Living Library

Annandale, an inner suburb of Sydney, is not where you would expect to make a connection with nature. For Kelly Parkins, the connection is nowhere more powerful than her front yard, which is home to a communitybased plant street library.

Just like the book street libraries, this nature library operates through donations of seedlings and cuttings and exchanges.

Parkins, who hates waste, started leaving her cuttings out on the street in 2019. To her amazement, they would disappear in minutes. It wasn’t long before her front yard was open to the public and the community was offered a space in which to take or leave something of interest.

With a contribution of up to 50 new plants a week, there is often a queue for plants, flowers, herbs and vegetable seedlings. For this keen gardener, the library offers a “village vibe” and is all about maintaining a sense of community connection.