INNISFAIL – Green thumbs aren’t just for adults.
Thanks to the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre’s Co-op Keyhole Community Gardens, children are proudly showing off their green thumbs and their fresh, local produce grown this summer.
“We planted the vegetables in June,” said Sherry Driezen, children’s programmer. “We had some herbs in another one and some coleus plants in the third raised bed.”
Preschool-aged children six years and under participated in the Keyhole Garden Project, which is in its second year, and learned about gardening and growing food.
“They watered it, weeded it and maintained it throughout the summer,” added Driezen. “They liked planting it, checking on it and seeing what was growing.”
The community gardens started out last year with just one raised garden bed but thanks to a $25,000 grant last summer from Innisfail Co-op, the project has expanded to three raised garden beds.
“They (Innisfail Co-op) presented us with a grant and that’s why we can do this,” said Sara Kepper, library manager, noting the expansion as well as the addition of a new butterfly garden.
“The (garden beds) are in the shape of a butterfly so once it’s all filled in (and plants are finished growing) they’ll look like butterfly wings,” she said, adding they had several bee and pollinator workshops this year.
“All the plants in there will attract butterflies and bees. We have a bee watering station as well.”
Driezen said they planted peas, beans, carrots and lettuce this year, and although the garden produced just a few peas and carrots (due to wild animals and poor weather) the project was a success.
With the addition of two raised garden beds, she noted they were able to grow more than just vegetables this summer.
“We had vegetables again this year but we also had fresh herbs in one (garden bed) including rosemary, sage, oregano and curry.”
A portion of the vegetables will be donated to the Innisfail and District Food Bank.
“The gardens are here and we’ll continue next year,” Driezen concluded.
