More than 100 people attended the special birthday function.

Even the drizzling rain failed to dampen the enthusiasm for the event which included a free sausage sizzle, live music, face painting, plant giveaways and a community mural unveiling.

New Shoalhaven Mayor, Councillor Amanda Findley along with councillors Joanna Gash and Patricia White also attended the celebrations.

NEPS teacher and Community Garden co-ordinator John Stovin-Bradford said it was a  great way to celebrate the garden’s birthday.

“The garden has come a long way,” he said.

“It is great to see the kids so keen on gardening,” he said.

“The kids just love being out here, planting things, watching them grow and the harvesting their produce.

“The community is involved but we want to open it up even more to the community.”

Mr Stovin-Bradford also has plans to establish an outdoor kitchen to compliment the garden.

The birthday celebrations were presented by Nowra East Public School, Shoalhaven City Council, Oura Collective and Nowra East Community Pride.

And the celebrations continued on Monday when the school was paid a special visit by ABC Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis.

He kept students enthralled with talks on how gardens work, the importance of bees and even presented the school with some new trees and plants to be added to the community garden.

His enthusiasm and passion for gardening is infectious and if the questions and happy chatter of the students in the garden was anything to go by the next generation of green thumbs has been born.