The Olds Communities in Bloom (CIB) committee will work with Ecole Deer Meadow School on developing a garden at the school in the fall as part of the committee's work this year.
Gerda Vester, chair of the committee, said she approached principal Randy Wiberg to see if there might be interest in the students at the school taking on the project.
“What I want is that the children really own the garden, so I want them to set up the design,” she said. “We're not trying to rush into this. Too often gardens get rushed and then bad design choices are made.”
The committee would talk to the students and help them connect with different organizations such as the compost centre at Olds College and various businesses to ask if they would be willing to donate to the project.
Vester got the idea of involving students in a garden project after attending the national Communities in Bloom symposium last year in Edmonton.
There were several sessions at the conference on different health issues children face and Vester thought initiating a garden project and getting students to manage it might be beneficial for them.
Wiberg said he was intrigued with the garden idea and hopes that an activity or “academy”-based class will take the project on when school resumes in September. He said it would be a good tie-in with the curriculum.
“In the fall, we're hoping that it will be kind of a legacy project and beautification (of the school),” Wiberg said.
There are several possibilities of the types of plants that could be put in the garden, but Wiberg said flora that would thrive under local conditions would be best. Wiberg said the garden would probably be situated on the east side of the school.
The Communities in Bloom committee kicked off its 2013 events with a town challenge in Centennial Park on June 14. Mayor Judy Dahl, along with members of council and staff from all the town's departments, planted barrels with flowers that will be judged by the public. The public will have the opportunity to view each of the 16 barrels at the town office that were part of the challenge on June 14 and select which one they think is the best by dropping their vote off at the town office. Voting closes at the end of August and the winners (one councillor and one staff-planted barrel) will be announced at a September meeting of council.
The Olds Communities in Bloom committee is also hosting the Harvest Festival on Sept. 21 that will include a scarecrow contest. The event will also include live music, and awards for the best garden in each of five areas throughout the community. Awards for the oddest-shaped vegetable and biggest sunflower will also be handed out. All the festivities will take place in the uptown core and Centennial Park.
The committee will enter the community in the non-competitive Circle of Excellence of CIB this year.
