WINTER REST FOR THE COMMUNITY GARDEN

It was another great year at the uOttawa community garden, and for all intents and purposes, I think that it was actually one of the greatest years we've had to date. From my personal recollection, there were a couple of great things worth mentioning.

First, the garden was given a much deserved face lift. A bunch of beautiful unfinished cedar planks were used to delineate the plot spaces, making them not only more visually appealing, but also more functional (setting clear limits for where to plant and where people can walk).

There were also a few more work-bee parties, an opportunity for the community garden members to get together and help clean up the space as a group.
And a few more garden meetings, a chance for members to discuss common issues about the garden space.
And there were even a couple of social outings, you know... to grab a drink and talk shop.

We got to do some experimenting this year, including experimenting with a hay bail garden plot! We also got a chance to play around with our mobile community garden plots. This summer we successfully filled some of our containers with strawberries and herbs. We were also able to grow a blend of wild pollinator mix which we hope to spread around areas of the campus that would benefit from pollinator activity. Check out the progression from empty barrels to pollinator powerhouses below.

My plot produced a healthy amount of mint, basil, and tomatoes this summer (which means I enjoyed a good amount of tomato sauce and mohitos). The squirrels made off with my hot peppers, but maybe the jokes on them in the end.

We have a lot of things planned for the future of the garden. We are hoping to expand the mobile plots, create a fence to separate the gardens from the main roads, and get a shed to store more of the equipment. Still no idea about expansion plans for more plots on campus but for now we are having a tremendous success with the current set up.

Over the winter season we are hoping to keep active with some movie nights, some workshops, and maybe a few more social outings.
This time of year is actually a great time to get involved with the community garden. Things are a little bit slower so you get the opportunity to meet some of the people behind the plots. You also get a head start on figuring out what you want to get into your plot.

So if you have been tinkering with the idea of having a plot of your own this coming year, or maybe you want to try out your first plot, or maybe you just want to experiment a little, contact the community garden coordinator at garden.uottawa@gmail.com.

~ jON - campus sustianbaility coordinator
photo credit - jonathan rausseo