There is still three feet of snow in the back yard, but gardening fever has already burrowed its way into St. Albert. Gardeners are springing out of the woodwork ordering bulbs, snapping up seed packets and shopping for the best deals on outdoor furniture.
The one popular trend leading the charge is a dramatic rise of community vegetable gardens. In the summer of 2010, two such gardens operated locally — the St. Albert Community Garden next to the Sturgeon River in Riel Business Park, and a second communal garden for its volunteer green thumbs at the St. Albert Botanic Park on Sturgeon Road.
Joining the burgeoning community garden movement are three new groups. They will utilize public spaces encouraging people to come together sharing friendship, tools and knowledge in a bid to grow pesticide-free food.
Ready to celebrate St. Albert’s 150th anniversary with an inaugural garden is the Christian Reformed Church of St. Albert with its Gate Avenue Neighbourhood Garden, the St. Albert Parish Heritage Garden located north of the church on St. Vital Avenue, and lastly a community herb garden planned at Bellerose Composite High School.
These civic greening projects sprouted for different reasons and offer numerous personal benefits to participants. They range from eating fresh foods and lowering grocery bills to forming new friendships and enjoying a sense of accomplishment and pride.
In addition to individual gains, these public gardens spill over certain advantages to the immediate area. They beautify the community, increase neighbourhood vitality and involvement, and provide important support networks while pursuing planet friendly food-growing practices.
Below is a breakdown of the five gardens.
St. Albert Community Garden
The grandfather of local community gardens, this venture was kick-started by a few friends back in 1999. Prior to 2001, it occupied a temporary space at the old public works site in Riel Park before moving to its present location.
The site, situated between LBH Building Supplies and St. Albert Precast, is part of the Sturgeon River’s natural flood plain and is designated as an environmental reserve. Water is piped to the 0.3 hectares of city land that has 45 staked plots. The water is stored in holding tanks and barrels, which also collect rainwater.
Members cultivate their own small piece of ground, either single or double plots, that are watered by hand.
“It’s a big job. You have to be committed,” says board chair Lorette Garrick.
Members are also expected to chip in with work bees cultivating flowers, cutting grass, weeding communal areas, and growing produce for the food bank on a long narrow strip along one edge.
Garrick sees a healthy mix of singles, seniors and families participating. While some young families are focused on growing fresh produce, seniors living in condos are eager to share their gardening expertise and still feel useful.
Garrick herself joined the very popular community garden three years ago after discovering her Grandin back yard was too shaded to grow vegetables. As executive director of the George Spady Centre, an inner city shelter and detox unit, she was also searching for an activity to de-stress.
“I grew up in Athabasca where neighbours help people out and work for the betterment of people around them. Maybe it’s wanting to go back to that feeling of community. People are looking for something to belong to, something to connect.”
“For me it was about having a little piece of dirt and growing my vegetables. It was about peace, serenity and nurturing — something away from a hectic job.”
She is particularly proud of how the garden has beautified the industrial area and attracted visitors from the Red Willow Trail system. “It’s peaceful. It’s quiet. You see flowers, plants and people laughing. Our goal is to create that sense of community and community co-operation.”
St. Albert Botanic Park
This 7.3-hectare site was conceived in 1990 for the region’s Zone 3 climate as a showcase for perennial flowers, ornamental plants, shrubs and trees. At some point in its 21-year history, it also instituted a trial vegetable garden used as a reward program for its volunteers.
Volunteers who contribute a certain number of hours become eligible to work one of the 38-metre-long rows for their own private stock.
“They just have to keep track of when they plant the seed, when the plants emerge, when the produce emerges and when it’s harvested,” says past-president Margaret Plain. “It’s a wonderful gardening opportunity and some people volunteer because they can get a row.”
Gate Avenue Neighbourhood Garden
When Johanna Buisman looks at the stretch of land behind the Christian Reformed Church of St. Albert, she sees a patchwork quilt of vegetables — crunchy carrots, juicy tomatoes and a canopy of broccoli.
Buisman is a church committee member that spearheads the revitalization of a neglected piece of land into what hopefully will become a thriving centre for passionate gardeners.
The church is redesigning a portion of its land into 10 gardening plots that are about four- by four-foot. A special chemical-free soil of manure, compost, peat moss and coarse vermiculite has been ordered for the raised beds. If Mother Nature co-operates, the church hopes to build the plots on Saturday, April 30 in time for a May planting.
While the plots cost $125 to develop and fill, the church is asking for a nominal $25 for each plot. “We’re just asking for a commitment from people,” Buisman says.
Flanked by apartments and condos, the community garden was envisioned as a way for surrounding residents to grow their own fresh, healthy foods. “We’re very excited to be a more visible part of the community and we look forward to meeting new people and sharing camaraderie and new friendships.”
For plot information email pbuisman @shaw.ca or call 780-458-8127.
St. Albert Parish Heritage Garden
The St. Albert Parish founded by Father Albert Lacombe also celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Parishioner Delores Andressen had seen archival photos of the church’s earliest years on Mission Hill and knew gardens were planted in the immediate area.
In this jubilee year, north of the grotto behind the rectory, the parish is building a community garden with about 35 plots sized about 10- by 20-ft. “Our long-term vision is to have it as a reflective garden to come and visit. We will have picnic tables, benches and a sitting area for anyone who walks by, not just the gardeners,” Andressen says.
Adopting organic practices, organizers are promoting the healthy seed to salad process.
“It’s about building community. It’s about handing down knowledge and it’s about taking part in a movement around the world to be self-sufficient. And since it’s on church grounds, we’d like it to be a place of peace and reflection. It won’t happen all at once, but it will happen.”
Bellerose Herb Garden
Biology teacher Alan Thorne and social studies teachers Yvonne Jones and David Rush are concerned their students are losing a connection to the land.
“Just by teaching social studies, I’ve become aware of how few kids are aware of the footprints we leave behind with our actions,” says Rush.
He is deeply aware of the necessity of building healthy eating habits especially since his wife is a breast cancer survivor. Along with Thorne and Jones, Rush believes developing a community garden that students and parents can share is an attainable dream.
“It reduces stress. You think about what you eat. You’re outside and you talk to people. It’s not a solitary act and you become visible rather than hide behind six-ft. fences.”
To kick-start the community garden, Rush is encouraging students to plant herbs in the school’s raised flowerbeds that in past years have gone to weed. “Through the summer people can snip dill or basil while they walk the dog.”
Rush is taking his proposal to a parent council meeting in April to discuss the issue. “It’s into the implementation stages and we’re looking for partners.”
Local gardeners are definitely gung-ho. Now if we only had a longer growing season.
