by Eva Russell
If you happen to wander behind the Vanier Community Centre in the Richelieu Park you will find the Vanier Community Garden and probably a few gardeners weeding and caring for their 4’ x 8’ cultivated plots. Started in 2010 by a group of Vanier residents and supported by the Vanier Community Service Centre and the City of Ottawa, 36 plots are aligned in the corner of the park and contain everything from okra to edible flowers. For the fee of $20 for the season, Vanier residents can plant a plot and commit to volunteer for at least 10 hours volunteering with watering, mowing the lawn and other tasks to help support the garden.
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The garden provides Vanier residents access to affordable, fresh local produce that is grown sustainably without the use of pesticides. Residents like myself who would otherwise not have access to an area to grow vegetables are able to cultivate a manageable area and benefit from locally grown food. Rain barrels are used to collect water and composters are available for the leftover plants in the fall, all contributing to the sustainable nature of the garden. A plot is dedicated to Partage Vanier (the neighbourhood food bank) as well as a community plot for anyone who may want to sample some of the vegetables without sampling from the other plots.
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Photos: Eva Russell (2014)
Related: For more on the history of community gardening in Vanier, see:
The Local Harvest: The many spaces for community gardening in Vanier
If you happen to wander behind the Vanier Community Centre in the Richelieu Park you will find the Vanier Community Garden and probably a few gardeners weeding and caring for their 4’ x 8’ cultivated plots. Started in 2010 by a group of Vanier residents and supported by the Vanier Community Service Centre and the City of Ottawa, 36 plots are aligned in the corner of the park and contain everything from okra to edible flowers. For the fee of $20 for the season, Vanier residents can plant a plot and commit to volunteer for at least 10 hours volunteering with watering, mowing the lawn and other tasks to help support the garden.
I have only ever grown the odd herb or tomato plant on my patio and when I received confirmation that I had a plot this season I immediately started Googling “how to plant a garden”. But with the first meeting, the alumni gardeners offered advice on what compost to add, what plants did well in the garden and what grew best from seeds vs. transplants. I thought “Hey! I got the hang of this!” and proceeded to try and plant every type of seed and transplant that I could find. The result is a jam-packed plot that I am carefully tending to in the hopes that the fruits of my labour pay off. Or at least that the squirrels will leave it alone long enough for things to grow.
A few of the garden plots are using a method of “Square Foot Gardening” with the intention of using all of the available area to cultivate the largest harvest. The effect is a planter box with the appearance of a patchwork quilt with varying shades of green. The alumni gardeners have learned from past years and have plots that are planted with squirrel resistant and low maintenance plants. Built structures dot the garden for climbing beans and peas and add to the organic character of the garden. Many of the gardeners have had their plots for multiple seasons and the garden, like many community gardens around Ottawa, has a waiting list indicating the demand for more areas.
But more than a place to sow some seeds, the garden is a meeting place for residents and provides a community space that otherwise wouldn’t be available. Fellow gardeners share seeds, assist in watering plots and contribute to furthering the sense of place and community. With a push to source local, sustainable and affordable food, community gardens and local markets such as the Beechwood Market will provide access for Vanier residents to healthy fresh produce and ensure food security in the urban area. Thanks to the dedication of a group of Vanier residents, the Vanier Community Garden provides much more than a 4’x 8’ box of soil.
Photos: Eva Russell (2014)
Related: For more on the history of community gardening in Vanier, see:
The Local Harvest: The many spaces for community gardening in Vanier