18/09/2026
๐ฟ Saturday Garden Moments | A Special Day of Sharing
Today was a very special and joyful day at our community garden.
Mr and Mrs Ma, originally from Xinjiang, together with our friends from Pakistan and friends from Beijing, came to visit the garden. Everyone joined hands to help prepare and tidy our new garden plots.
But the day was not only about gardening โ it was also about sharing food, culture and friendship. ๐โค๏ธ
Our Xinjiang friends brought something very special from their home culture: Xinjiang-style lamb barbecue.
They had marinated lamb leg with their own blend of spices, then cut the meat into pieces and threaded them onto skewers to cook slowly over a charcoal fire. ๐ฅ
Soon, everyone had a job to do.
Someone was cutting the meat, someone was preparing the skewers, someone was looking after the fire, and someone was making traditional flatbread.
There was cooking, talking, laughing and sharing all around the garden. It was such a warm and beautiful scene.
And while the adults were busy preparing the feast, the children from the three families were running and playing together on the grass, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air and freedom of the garden. ๐ฑ๐ง๐ง
๐ฟ A little taste of Xinjiang Hui culture
Today's barbecue also gave us an opportunity to learn a little about the food culture of the Hui people of Xinjiang.
The Hui are a Muslim ethnic group in China, and their traditional food culture reflects both Islamic dietary practices and the rich culinary traditions of northwestern China.
For many Hui families, halal food is an important part of everyday life. Pork is not eaten, and alcohol is generally avoided. Meat is prepared according to halal requirements, and respecting these practices is an important part of sharing food with Muslim friends.
Lamb and beef are especially important in many northwestern Muslim cuisines, while wheat-based foods such as flatbreads and noodles are also common. Spices such as cumin and chilli are often used to give grilled meats their distinctive flavour.
Of course, every family and region has its own traditions. Today we were fortunate to experience the food and traditions that the Ma family chose to share with us from their own home culture.
๐ Our garden is a little world
From Xinjiang to Pakistan, from Beijing to New Zealand, our garden brings people from different backgrounds together.
People bring different languages, stories, traditions and foods โ and we share them around the same garden table.
Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful things about a community garden.
We are not only growing vegetables. We are growing friendship, understanding and cultural connections. ๐ฑ๐โค๏ธ
Today there was charcoal smoke in the air, delicious lamb skewers on the fire, freshly made flatbread, children running across the grass, and friends from different parts of the world sharing one beautiful space.
Thank you to everyone who came and made this Saturday so special.
Our garden grows vegetables, friendship and cultures together. ๐ฟโค๏ธ
