The Fulcrum’s brief guide to community gardens in Ottawa
Marley Lewington | Fulcrum Contributor
Photo by Mathias MacPhee
What a lot of people don’t realize is how simple it is to grow organic vegetables and flowers. Growing your own food can be a labour of love when it comes to weeding, watering, and feeding, but it can also be extremely rewarding. Once all of the hard work is done, you get to eat the fresh produce you’ve grown, enjoy the scent and beauty of fresh flowers, and, most importantly for university students, save money.
Community gardens are public spaces where people can grow a variety of vegetables, flowers, trees, and other greenery. It’s all in the name—a community garden operates like a community. People who participate, whether on the management team or as a gardener, can reap what they sow, meet other gardeners, share tips, and learn about different types of produce.
If you’ve never seen a community garden before, there are a couple you can get to on foot, like the Lees Avenue Community Garden and the Sandy Hill Community Garden. Now that spring is here, it’s the perfect time for students to start planning for some summer gardening.
Students are usually low on both money and quality homemade food. Participating in a community garden or simply growing a few vegetables and herbs at home are small steps with big rewards. You do the math: a package of tomato seeds costs anywhere from $2 to $4, but at the grocery store, that money only goes as far as three or four tomatoes. The tomato seeds will provide you with a fresh supply of tomatoes all summer long.
The money you save by growing a few of your favourite vegetables can leave you more for drinks on the patio or textbooks for next year. Growing your own vegetables can also teach you a lot about the food you eat. Studies have shown that a balanced and healthy diet combined with an active lifestyle can help boost your grades and lower stress.
Sadly, here in the snowy capital of Canada, we aren’t able to grow produce outdoors all year round. But during the winter months, you can still grow fresh herbs in pots and can your excess produce.
Wondering how to go about this? Thinking you don’t have a green thumb? The Community Gardening Network of Ottawa offers five-dollar classes for all levels of gardeners all over the city.
For information about community gardens in the city, visit www.justfood.ca/community-gardening-network
Basic gardening tools:
- Planting containers
- Potting soil
- Spade
- Gardening gloves
- Twine
- Watering can
- Pruning shears
- Plant labels (to mark what you’ve planted)
- Compost (the best fertilizer for organic gardening)
Basic gardening tips:
Always:
- Do research first. Choose plants that will grow in your climate and in the conditions of your garden (sunny vs. shady, for example).
- Weed your garden to make sure your produce is getting all the resources it needs to grow and flourish.
- Water your garden regularly; if you’re going to be gone for more than a day or two, ask a friend to take care of your garden.
- Keep your plants healthy by regularly harvesting your produce.
- Watch out for infections and pests. Ask someone knowledgeable if something doesn’t look right to you.
Never:
- Overwater! Too much of a good thing will kill your plants.
- Use harsh pesticides—they’re dangerous and unhealthy. If you choose not to practise organic gardening, make sure you do your research on how to control pests safely and effectively.
- Overplant or crowd your garden. Be careful, and follow the specific planting guidelines for each of your plants.
