FFWD Weekly
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City by FFWD Staff There’s something satisfying about feeling warm soil between your fingers and watching things grow right before your eyes, which is likely why gardening is experiencing a renewed popularity. But those who live in apartments or condos are often denied the opportunity to watch their garden grow. In other cities, such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, this has led to an increasing number of community gardens in the inner-city. The same thing is now occurring in Calgary, where the few existing gardens are incredibly popular, and new projects are starting to crop up. Community gardens are spaces set aside for people to grow flowers and vegetables. In Hillhurst-Sunnyside, for example, a small section of land at the northeast end of the community reveals rows of plants in neat, orderly plots. The community organic garden, one of the oldest in the city, is a volunteer-driven project with 30 plots – 29 are rented, and one is used to grow vegetables for the food bank. "The plots are for people in Hillhurst-Sunnyside who do not have access to a garden themselves," says Kara Garner of the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association. "We have quite a mix this year," she adds. "A lot of people have never gardened before and wanted to try it." Garner says the garden is on city land, which the community association administers as part of the adopt-a-park program. People who rent a plot, at a cost of $30 per year, have first right of refusal the next season, while vacant plots are first opened up to residents of the community, then to others. Currently, she adds, there is a huge waiting list to get in. Cathy Taylor of the Community Gardens Resource Group expects the demand for community gardens will lead to new projects. "I think multi-unit housing is more of the norm now in Calgary, so it’s not surprising to see an increase interest in community gardens," she explains. "It’s something that definitely appeals to people and I think as the density in Calgary gets higher and people have less of their own land, people will be looking to grow things." The resource group was formed about three years ago – one of the gardens in town was getting more inquiries than it could handle, so a member approached Taylor and suggested forming a group to provide assistance. In January 1998, the group became a project of the Calgary Horticultural Society (CHS) – at that time there were eight community gardens in Calgary, and every new one was starting from scratch. The group developed a manual outlining what it takes to start a new garden, and included the experiences and histories of existing projects. Taylor says the first thing that’s needed is eight to 12 really interested people, and then they have to find available land with quality soil, access to water and an adequate amount of sun. Recently, the resource group has also taken on the role of advocate – it helped convince the city to allow a group of elderly Chinese residents to start a garden by the Chinese Cultural Centre. A garden is also being considered as part of the redevelopment in Bridgeland. Taylor says community gardens were originally intended to ensure people had an adequate amount of food to feed themselves, but the motives have evolved over the years. For example, she explains, the Cliff Bungalow-Mission garden attracts a high number of apartment dwellers, while the Killarney-Glengarry garden is very social. There are also corporate gardens that are growing strictly for the food bank. An avid gardener herself, Taylor describes it as a lifestyle activity, and says it’s attracting a lot of people – CHS membership has doubled in the past five years, reaching almost 4,000 "I think people are using the garden to feel connected to the outside world, nature, if you will." Jim Hollicky became involved with the Hillhurst-Sunnyside garden eight years ago and says having a place to grow his lettuce, spinach, radishes, peas, beans, zucchini, etc. is very important to him – especially since he recently moved into a condo. "It keeps my sanity," he adds, only half-joking. "My fondest memories as a child are working with my father in the garden on our farm in the 1930s. That’s what kept us alive through the depression." Hollicky advises that it’s not realistic to join a garden for economic reasons, but it does have other benefits. "For people that enjoy the gardening aspect of it and the therapy, it’s a great deal." Anyone interested in starting a community garden can contact CHS at 287-3469. The is also an annual tour for members, which is scheduled July 25.

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