FREE: A.D. Schierning's artwork will provide free lemons at Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts. Times photo Jackie Russell.

GROWING a few fruit and veg is a resurging trend in suburban backyards, but there are global initiatives that are taking the ‘grow your own food’ idea one step further.

Guerrilla gardening is filtering through communities, often involving night-time warriors planting anything from silverbeet to native trees on abandoned or neglected land.

The concept has developed from feeding the hungry to making a political statement about land ownership.

Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts is the first Pakuranga spot to proudly exhibit a fruitful living art project that will help feed passers-by. But, rather than unapproved guerrilla gardening, the lemon tree grove is a carefully planned co-operative, initiated by artist A.D. Schierning.

The plot of citrus trees is the second stage in A.D’s Freedom Fruit Gardens exhibition, which is planned to grow throughout New Zealand.

In part two of Te Tuhi’s Land Wars series, A.D’s exhibition of a mandarin tree and a recycled wood garden bench explored the tension of land control and sustainability.

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She says at the 2008 show, a plan was made with a map of the area identifying parks that would be appropriate and a written proposal was sent to Manukau City Council.

“Now we are exhibiting the end result,” says A.D. “It came about from my own personal experience of being on a tight budget with a baby and trying to feed him good food.

“Trying to make ends meet, I was looking at trees. Money doesn’t grow on trees, but fruit does.”

The lemon grove is planted on a grassy north-facing slope beside Te Tuhi. It’s nestled by a thirsty gum tree but there is a natural spring flowing under the top soil and A.D. hopes the trees’ roots will soon tap into the moisture.

The council donated the trees and the public is invited to help themselves to the future fruit. A.D. was told people will pick the fruit when it’s not ripe, but she sees that outcome as part of the learning process.

The next stage in A.D’s work is a much grander orchard at Preston Road Reserve in Otara. The site was selected because it shares a border with Rongomai School.

Students from the decile-one primary school selected the fruiting trees and Waimea Nurseries donated feijoa, plum, peach, orange, mandarin, kiwifruit, pear and banana trees.

The inaugural Freedom Fruit Garden will be planted on Friday, June 25. The children, their parents and community have an ongoing commitment to care for the orchard, and of course, they can also raid the garden for healthy and tasty tucker.