The new Community Garden in the “triangle park” below the Old School is now in full swing. Local gardeners have rented out all 20 of the beds for the season. Most of the beds are already showing fresh green growth. And some people are already planning to carry on over the winter with cold season crops.
Victoria Day Monday in May was construction day. A good crew of almost 25 volunteers showed up to meet the lift-trucks with the loads of cinder blocks. Taylor Timber Mart, one of the main sponsors, donated most of the blocks. We bought several truckloads of good quality garden soil from Kel-Ann Organics. One of our volunteers donated a tote of well-aged cattle manure.
After a quick technical demonstration, everyone got to work, using shovels and wheelbarrows to fill each bed with manure and soil. By 1:30 pm, most of the beds were done. Then we feasted on a fine lunch donated by Porter’s Lake Superstore, and coffee and sweets donate by Uprooted Market and Dobbit Bakehouse. After lunch, several people began planting immediately.
The final round of cinder blocks donated by Taylor Timber Mart arrived a few weeks later. We had completely wiped out all their previous stock on-site! This time, a crew of students from ESDH Grade 10 02 Program and two teachers were on hand to build the remaining beds. The students had a great time, especially when the pizzas arrived, thanks in part to a grant from the Telus Community Board program.
Our water barrels, donated by Krown Rust Dartmouth, are now full, so gardeners can water this plantings as needed. In the weeks since the build, we have had some meetings and skill-shares, along with some come-by-chance help for new gardeners.
We are planning a series of more formal workshops at the Old School on the last Wednesdays of June (the 28th), July (the 26th), and August (the 30th). These workshops will be open to anyone who wants to attend, whether you’re a garden bed holder or not. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].
We still have a few tasks to complete, starting with installing top edging on all the beds. The edging will make the beds look more attractive, and provide a more comfortable place to sit and work. We also have a flowerbed and some signage in process. We encourage people to stop by and visit. There is a nice wooden deck and seating, making for a pleasant place to sit and rest or eat lunch.
Huge thanks go out to the community groups and businesses that have kindly and enthusiastically supported this project:
A Capital Grant from HRM Councillor David Hendsbee
Telus Community Board Grant
Sponsorship from Taylor Timber Mart
Porter’s Lake Superstore, donation
Krown Rust Control, Dartmouth, donation
Uprooted Market and Café, donation
Dobbit Bakehouse, donation
Jeddore Variety, donation
Jude Major helped found the Musquodoboit Harbour Community Garden
