Signage

The garden’s signs are made by the people who tend it, not ordered in. That’s deliberate — building things ourselves, with local hands, is part of the kaupapa from the start rather than something added at the end.

Naming the kaupapa

The main board names the garden — the Uey Kai Garden — and is hand-painted by the community, with the children who work the kids’ plot welcome to help. A board made by the gardeners carries the story more honestly than an off-the-shelf sign ever could.

Acknowledgements

The board acknowledges those who helped make the garden real:

• the Kai Ora Fund
• Te Roroa, as mana whenua, whose guidance and blessing the kaupapa rests on
• Donnellys Crossing Community Group
• Steelmates, who gifted two of the garden beds

Labels and seasons

Smaller signs — labels on the beds and a “what’s in season” board — are made from offcuts and materials already in the shed, with no new purchases needed. They help anyone walking through know what’s growing and what’s ready to pick.