Moose Jaw's community gardens were started last year on the slope of a hill overlooking the CPR rail yards. The site had been unbroken prairie
Saskferco Community Gardens / Connecting as Neighbours
A garden pavilion was built to store our tools and to hold our meetings in (it also features a green roof)
View a little further back........
there is also a gazebo that the students at my children's old high school built and donated to the gardens (seen barely at the right hand side of the picture) Fence was installed to keep deer out and children who have raiding on the brain. Last year only one ~12 year old boy tried.......he climbed the fence but was met by a neighbour to the garden who walks his rather large noisy dog in the evenings. Not surprisingly the garden has been left in peace this year.
This message was edited Aug 9, 2007 12:17 AM
Majority of paths are covered with a rubber mat......picture is showing the path as well as part of the tomato patch I have growing there.
Watering stations were located for ease of use at all patches. Below is also one of the water barrels that we keep filled so that warm water is available for those who don't want to shock their plants. The 10 varieties of pumpkins shown here are ones I planted on June 21st. The extreme heat and humidity we received this summer really gave them a boost (I really didn't expect to see them fruit........but there are lots forming on them now).
I should go back and take a few more pictures of items I missed there ie compost bins, raised beds (as well as ones raised really high for those in wheelchairs or ones who cannot bend). Picnic tables are also available as well as a few play stations for children.
Last item purchased was one we all really appreciate.....especially if one walked there (or took the bus) since the nearest gas station is two blocks away. ;)
Wow! That's a great looking community garden y'all have put together!
How many gardeners are participating?
Thanks garden_mermaid we are very, very proud of our relatively new endeavor. There are about 30 gardeners there and next year they are thinking of covering the whole hill, about 3 blocks long, with additional patches. A right of way has to be left open for the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) but other than that it's going to be growing lots of veggies.
How big are are the member's plots/beds/allotments?
How to you handle the common area tasks, eg, is there a work day each month where everyone does the path weeding, composting etc?
The plots are of varying sizes. Some people just wanted a 5 X 5 raised bed, some a 10 X 5, and others have a 20 X 60 / 20 X 30 / or 20 x 20.
There is a major cleaning in the spring and fall and all are *supposed* to weed common areas. This has been a bit of a problem but a meeting and a newsletter did get some of the slaggards moving on their own plot and a *little* bit more on the common areas. If I was in charge I'd assign (but I don't want that hassle ;).
Where I have the pumpkins growing was given to me on June 18th...they were holding it for someone that in the end said no so I was given it for free just to have it kept weeded. I also received another little plot that way and it is growing three more squash as well as eggplant, cucumbers, onions and a few more peppers. Normally I'd not get plants to maturity with that late a start but the extremely high heat and humidity we received this year gave those plants a never before seen (truly unbelievable) boost.
Pretty quiet forum here. ;)
Here's a few more pictures from our community garden.......
the raised beds for those in wheelchairs, ones who can't bend and/or children
One of the picnic tables and children's play area as well as a couple of flower/tree beds.........
The gazebo the high school students made and donated.....(our tomato patch is on the other side). My father, who had a tough battle with cancer, finds the gazebo a wonderful place to sit and oversee our efforts. He also is very handy with the water hose. :)
This message was edited Aug 9, 2007 10:49 PM
One view of the different plots there.......
Finally one of the raised beds where someone is growing non-edible items
Wish I were better suited to cold climates........I'd be moving to Moose Jaw to join your garden! It's absolutely lovely. Great job!
Ü Thank you so much (((((((garden_mermaid)))))))!
p.s. come for a visit and we will keep you warm (still a month left, at minimum, before it might get a little chilly for you here. ;)
What a great garden, and I love the gazebo -- although the one chair looks a little lonely!
A few others will be joining it shortly Andy (our final potluck will be held there in a week).
Thank you for taking a look and the compliments Andy and Garden_mermaid! :)
It was a very unusual summer for growing certain crops here. The extremely high heat and humidity brought our first ever (and late planted....June 18th to boot) watermelon to maturity (and three more are pretty close :) but it sure was hard for the tomatoes....both late and early are going to mature at the same time and that's still a couple of weeks away.....however I should say we did have a few that have matured but they bloomed prior to planting).
This message was edited Aug 20, 2007 10:21 PM
We've had odd weather here too. It seems to alternate between hot and cold on a weekly basis. My poor okra are barely a foot tall. They seem soooo confused!
I think that would be harder to adapt too Garden_Mermaid.........after July (that month ranged between 100 to 122F) we dropped down to the 70's and have stayed there this whole month. This August has been more like what May was like when I was growing up.
Yep. The weather's been tough on the garden this year. Even when we have a heat wave during the day, it's been cooling down more than usual at night. I know okra, eggplants and peppers *love* heat. They just aren't getting enough of it this year in a consistent pattern. Thankfully the Genovese Basil and golden purslane have not been so picky. It I can't have a lot of eggplant lasagne and mousaka this year, I'll just have to console myself with more pesto!
I too have the nicest eggplant plants this year.........they loved the heat/humidity of July but, like you, I'm wondering if I'll get many of the just formed fruit to maturity (we had one night where we went down to 40F about a week ago). The nights are better now but I wonder how long that is going to last.
I really like the design of the raised beds, different levels for different needs. Great garden!
Pam,
How did you get funding for this? City/donations/annual charge from gardeners? Yours is so beautiful, compared to ours.
Is the land railroad right of way? It costs huge $$$ to get the city to hook up the water here.
inanda
I'm replying to this thread almost 2 years later... but, never know who is reading...
Our community garden is funded by our local foodbank. It's called the Marion Polk Foodshare. A lot of foodbanks are helping people start community gardens... maybe you could look into that? Also, the food bank gets seeds donated from seed companies that have to pull their seeds off the shelf as of Dec 31st. Our mayor in Salem has said that all community gardens can get free water from public works. I just made a phone call, and they hooked it up for us!
