SUNDRE — With half of the available plots at the Sundre Community Garden already spoken for as of last week, local green thumbs are eagerly getting ready for the upcoming growing season.
“The returning plot holders have time until the end of this month to claim the same plot. I’m just in the middle of letting them confirm,” said Renate de Bruijn, the Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society’s program coordinator.
There is a total of 28 garden beds, of which 14 were still up for grabs for the same fee as last year of $25 on Wednesday, March 17 when de Bruijn spoke with The Albertan.
“And then after March 31st, there’s other people who can apply for plots,” she said, adding there were seven people on a waiting list.
People who previously rented a plot get first dibs the following season because many of them have invested time, effort and resources to improve the soil, she said.
“They treat their soil and so they like to keep their own plot for that reason.”
But come April, any plots that have not yet been rented are then offered to others who are on the wait list, she said.
Located adjacent to the main entrance and parking lot of the Myron Thompson Health Centre — formerly the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre — the fenced-in community garden has remained consistently popular since first getting started about six years ago, with all the plots ending up rented out.
Asked whether there are tentative plans in place for the upcoming season, de Bruijn said, “Usually, we have an annual meeting in March. But because of COVID and the restrictions that are on, we decided to go like we did last year — we had our first meeting at the garden site some time in April when the weather is nice.”
However, a specific date has not yet been announced for the annual meeting next month, she said.
The outdoor setting does make adhering to the pandemic health guidelines such as staying physically distanced much easier than at an indoor venue, she said, adding ideas for this season will be discussed and decided upon at that meeting.
Last year, the community garden’s membership chose to reserve one plot to plant and grow potatoes for the Plus 1 Food Hamper program run out of the McDougal Chapel, she said.
“That might happen again this year. Depends on how many plots will be spoken for.”
Looking to the year ahead, de Bruijn said the community garden’s members also have some other plans in mind.
“We have a wish list that we will work on getting filled this year,” she said. “We’ll discuss that at our first meeting in April.”
That list includes acquiring a pitch fork to turn manure, as well as getting soil enhancer for the plots. Similar but not the same as fertilizer, soil enhancers can be organic and inorganic compounds added to the dirt to help enhance the quality of the soil by adding elements to improve properties such as water retention, permeability, water infiltration and drainage.
Additionally, “we would’ve liked to schedule more meetings and also public events that were in the works last year” such as inviting speakers to discuss subjects like pollination.
“But because of COVID, that just had to be postponed,” she said. “That’s still also on the wish list, but I’m not sure if it’s realistic to do that this year yet.”
