It was a fine time to be at the Estevan Community Garden, on Thursday evening. With the sun low in the sky, the birds singing and the trees providing shade, guests enjoyed the flourishing beds of assorted plants. Guests and members socialized over the growing plants, learning about the gardens.
This was all part of the Estevan Community Garden’s open house on June 23, at which fellow members spoke about what they’re growing this year, and guests showed up to appreciate the gardens and the many edibles being grown in them.
“Everyone has their own plot that they rent for $35, for the season. Seeds are shared, and we have monthly meetings from October to June,” said Barb Wright, a member of the Community Garden committee and public health nutritionist with Sun Country Health Region. “The Community Garden provides an opportunity for people who without space to garden at home, to plant and grow one.”
The gardens themselves bore a variety of fruits and vegetables, including chard, broccoli and strawberries, to name a few. All the gardens are arranged in raised beds, in a carefully tended lot that is kept mowed and tidy by members, near the Pleasantdale neighbourhood and Rusty Duce Park. The gardens, in many cases are planted to fit the most varieties of plants into the square footage of the allotted beds, as efficiently as possible, and each is done in the owner’s signature style, in terms of arrangement.
Wright noted that gardeners show up about twice a week for regular maintenance of their gardens, which includes pulling weeds and watering their plants. She added the open house was a great way for fellow gardeners to get to know one another, and to introduce guests to what they’ve been working on this season.
“It gives us a sense of connection, and creates a social network, to bring members together with guests,” said Wright. “This is an introduction to the community, to let them know we’d love to have them here. A lot of people will look around and say they’ve never seen this before.”
Wright said the location of the Community Garden is ideal because it’s off the beaten path of thoroughfare roads and traffic in the city, and serves as a quiet green space in which gardening and the Community Garden’s yoga program can take place in a peaceful, comfortable setting.
She added, “Obviously, the veggies are a big factor, but the gardens are also an opportunity to be outdoors, enjoying the physical activity and community connectedness they create.”
