The gardens project is already attracting huge interest, including a demand for allotments so people can grow their own vegetables.
"The interest in the gardens has been phenomenal, especially with regard to the proposed allotment blocks," said Marian Shore, who leads the community gardens steering group in the final stages of forming the Waitaki Community Gardens Trust.
"Strong interest has come from schools, youth groups, churches and more senior people who have downsized their properties and no longer have room for a vegetable garden."
Already, seven of the 26 planned allotments have been allocated, with other inquiries still being processed.
The land for the gardens - at the west end of the botanical gardens opposite the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park - has been given by the Waitaki District Council and a strong partnership is being forged with council staff.
The trust will work closely with Waitaki safer community officer Alison Banks, who sees the gardens as having great potential to help at-risk and disadvantaged youth realise their potential.
It will also be an extension of the Community Clean Up programme.
It is intended the gardens will create opportunities to educate and mentor Waitaki residents, especially young people, so they learn how to grow their own food.
Because of the strong history within the North Otago of vegetable growing, Ms Shore believes there are still a lot of people around the district who had saved seeds, sometimes for generations.
"These plants will be particularly healthy and adapted to local conditions," she said.
She is keen to establish a register of these seeds which will help to ensure they are not lost. The design for the gardens has been developed by Jason Ross on permaculture principles.
It includes heirloom orchards, bees, coppice blocks, education facilities and a demonstration "back yard lawn" which will show how to transform the average back yard into a food basket.
On open day, Sunday, from 10am to noon, gardeners will form paths and make the first allotments ready for planting.
