The Benefits of Raised Bed Gardens in uOttawa Community Garden

The University of Ottawa community garden on King Edward has been around for some time. It is a place where staff, students, and Sandy Hill community members are encouraged to grow their own food and preserve green spaces. Not everyone has the opportunity or space to garden; it is therefore very important to have community gardens as they give individuals the ability to grow and have access to their organic fruits and vegetables.

Recently, the University of Ottawa has constructed seven raised bed gardens, built with the help of some reused materials on campus (old banners from Alumni week are being used as moisture barriers). For those who don’t know, raised bed gardens are elevated boxes filled with soil separated from the ground to grow plants. This method of gardening comes with many advantages.

First, gardeners tend to suffer from less back pain because they do not have to bend over as much to do their gardening. It also makes it easier to access if you are in a wheelchair or have mobility issues. Furthermore, fewer critters are able to get into the raised beds, thus less food is lost. And since the soil is separate from the ground, there are fewer chances of contamination. Raised beds can also be more visually appealing as they appear more organized and can create more space. Overall, they are a good investment, even if they are more expensive than in-ground gardens. They can even allow for a longer and better-growing period which is great for long term gardening!

The driving force behind the creation of these raised bed gardens is to give back to our community, especially amid this pandemic. Not only do these beds create more space for new gardeners to grow more food, but a portion of the garden will be used to grow food for the Ottawa Food Bank where they feed individuals in need. Senior Director of Property and Asset Management, Jeff Frigon, stated that having “access to sustainable food is important as it provides environmental, social, health and cultural benefits to the public.


At uOttawa, we are committed to the strategy of giving our community the opportunity to grow food as part of our sustainable campus.” In addition, it may not be much, but when a community comes together to grow their own food, everybody wins!

 ~Idman Warsame