On sunny winter days, Sandhills Community Garden is alive with geraniums, vegetables and local visitors.
What began as a Newcastle East initiative three years ago is now a vibrant local hub, which Newcastle Community Preschool is taking advantage of.
Several classes from the Cooks Hill preschool have begun visiting the garden in recent weeks.
An educator from the preschool said informal visits to the garden had been a great way of getting children outside and connecting with nature.
"We only started doing this recently," the educator said. "The kids are very curious and enjoy learning."
One group of students have been building 'bug hotels', where native bees and other insects crucial to healthy gardens can gather.
Small hollows in a tiny wooden 'house' allow creatures to rest, lay eggs and continue living among the flowers.
For others, observing plants and insects in the garden as sparked curiosity. Four-year-old Gigi Clinton proudly showed the Newcastle Herald around her favourite garden beds, including one with lavender in full bloom.
"[I love to] look at all the plants," Gigi said.
Gigi and her peers do not water or care for the plants yet but it is something she is looking forward to.
"We just look at them for now," she said. "We are learning."
Through this observation, Gigi is discovering how plants grow.
"You plant them in the dirt - if you have a seed - and you water [the seed] and then it grows," she said.
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