Despite a slight delay from spring’s late start, the Sundre Community Garden is already coming along well in its fourth season.
“People have already started planting,” said Renate de Bruijn, community outreach coordinator for Greenwood Neighbourhood Place (GNP), about two weeks ago.
Gardeners began coming in to plant seeds in their plots as soon as the weather started to warm up, while others had planted some bulbs last fall for an earlier start this spring, she said.
“Every plot is spoken for.”
The 28 planters are protectively fenced in directly adjacent to the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre’s main entrance parking lot. The facility’s administration, in collaboration with Alberta Health Services, made the site available to help volunteers get the project off the ground in 2015, she said.
Greenwood Neighbourhood Place played a lead role in coordinating the effort to establish the community garden, which also received funding from provincial and federal government initiatives called Thrive for Wellness, $3,000, and New Horizons for Seniors Program, $25,000. Local contributions also made available a shed and water storage tank, she said.
A committee comprised of residents, municipal representatives, Alberta Health Services officials, a nutritionist, a member of the Sundre Garden Club as well as a GNP project coordinator oversaw the development, and an eight-member committee continues to oversee the garden, she said.
Call the GNP office at 403-638-1011 to learn more or get involved.
Although all of the plots are booked for this season, with priority next year being reserved for committee members and return gardeners who commit before the end of December, new inquiries will be welcome in early 2019. The allocation of plots generally takes place towards the end of April or early May, she said.
Sundre resident Bert Coghill, who also sits on the committee, started out by renting one plot three years ago. Since last year he has reserved two plots to grow vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, beets, carrots and onions.
Although Coghill also gardens at home, the additional space at the community garden offers a great opportunity to plant even more, he said.
“It’s excellent,” he said on May 22 while watering his plots.
