Tucked behind the Rotunda Cafe in Preston Park is a tiny but thriving veg patch. It’s part of Harvest Brighton And Hove, a three-year project to get residents of the city growing and eating more locally-grown produce.

The garden was set up to show veg growing can be simple, attractive and compact, with a small garden or balcony sufficient to yield at least a small crop.

Sarah Waters is the Harvest growing officer, with direct responsibility for designing and implementing the garden. Along with a team of about seven volunteers, the first year has seen beans, carrots, tomatoes, beetroot, baby sweetcorn and a host of other veg shared out among the gardeners.

Sarah says: “There are a few community gardens in parks but what’s different about Preston Park is it’s there to demonstrate how food is grown. The whole aim is to inspire people to have a go at growing their own food.”

Sarah began gardening as a child with her father.

She went on to study fine art with a degree in painting and worked for a while as an art teacher. When she moved into teaching English, Sarah began designing gardens for friends as a way of being creative.

“I did a garden design course and started my own small business,” says Sarah. “Then I went into mental health work. While I was doing that I became aware that a lot of the places I was working had gardens that weren’t being used and I thought it would be therapeutic.”

Sarah began encouraging mental health service users to grow whatever they wanted – flowers or vegetables – and she noticed it acted as a way of improving people’s social skills, cooperation and confidence.

“It sounds silly but being able to grow a tomato plant really boosts confidence,” she says.

When Sarah saw the job at Harvest advertised and began to imagine parks and gardens filled with beautiful fruit and veg, she knew it was for her.

So far, the Preston Park garden seems to be achieving its goals. There has been a huge amount of positive feedback and passers-by stopping for a look before commenting that they’ll try and give it a go at home.

Sarah says: “It confronts a lot of prejudices you come across. People feel they can’t grow veg in a small space or think veg are ugly compared to flowers. I think a lot of people have been surprised.”

It also provides an educational space where parents bring children to show what veg looks like and how it’s grown.

“Children are very attracted to the garden,” says Sarah. “They’re more willing to try something that’s growing than if it’s presented on a plate.”

Are there any problems with vandalism or people stealing the food?

“No. The rose gardens in the park haven’t been vandalised so why should this? People see parks as their space so they naturally care and appreciate it.”

And why is the garden popular? “I think beyond growing veg, or any plant, what’s really going on underneath is the creation of community,” says Sarah. “That’s what drives me.”