The Christchurch South Community Gardens began developing in 1999 on a bare Christchurch City Council site on Strickland Street, Sydenham. The gardens are the principal project of the Christchurch South Community Gardens Trust. Other projects include community education, local waste management, public speaking, growing heritage plants, seed saving and more. The site consists of a recreational area, vegetable and flower gardens, a shade house, glasshouse and resource centre.