Finding a Spot to Grow: Garden Spaces in the City

If you don’t have a garden of your own and think you might like one this summer, now is the time to start looking. Many community gardens fill up quickly and have long waiting lists each year so it’s good to get your name on the list early. Here is a quick guide on how to do that, as well as other options to help you find a garden spot to call your own.

Community Gardens

Each community garden in HRM is coordinated by a volunteer at each garden. It is a very informal system, where one or more gardeners offer to help keep track of new and lapsed memberships from year to year. You can find the contact information for the coordinator of each garden on the Halifax Garden Network Map, by clicking on the icon for the garden you are interested in. The map allows you to look for gardens in your neighbourhood and get in touch directly. If you find a contact is out of date let us know at the Urban Garden Project and we’ll update our listings. Don’t get discouraged if you end up on a waiting list, as people’s plans change and plots are always opening up.

Halifax Landshare

If you find you are unable to find a plot in a community garden, or if there aren’t any gardens in your area, another option is Halifax Landshare. This is a program where people can post online on our garden map, announcing that they have a yard to share, or are looking for a spot to garden. It works similar to the classifieds, letting everyone know who has extra land to share and who is looking and the map helps you to find a place close to home.Both those with land to share, and those looking for land can look through these listings and get in touch with another Landshare participant in their neighbourhood to see if there is a possibility of working together. Yellow bullet points indicate a yard available to share, blue bullets indicate someone is looking for land. The map acts as a starting point for people to start a conversation and collaborate.If you have a bit of extra space in your yard, or would like someone to help you with your garden in trade for produce, consider listing your space on the map so that we can help everyone have a space to grow their own. To do so, simply fill out the form on the Halifax Garden Network Map page and we’ll add you to our map. For further information you can read, Using Halifax Landshare, which offers advice on questions to ask when talking with another Landshare participant. If you have any questions please email us.

If you would like to see a community garden in your neighbourhood take a look at “10 Steps to Starting a Community Garden” for advice on where to get started. Together we will find, build and make our gardens, from the ground up.

Written by: Garity Chapman

Garden Gossip: How to Find Out What is Happening

It may not feel like it but spring is just around the corner and the city is abuzz with gardening workshops and events. Its not always easy to stay in the know, but here are two great local resources to help keep all the action straight.

Halifax Garden Network Website and Calendar

It is easy to find out all that is happening by visiting the Halifax Garden Network Events Calendar. Click on a listing to see everything you need to know about the event and who to get in touch with to participate or register. 

GardenHalifax Listserve

If you’d like annoucements delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to the GardenHalifax email listserve to hear what other urban gardeners are up to and how to get involved. You can subscribe by emailing gardenhalifax-subscribe@lists.riseup.net (and un-subscribe by emailing gardenhalifax-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net).

These events are great chances to meet other gardeners in your area, learn and new skill and ask some questions. We are all learning so don’t be shy.

Written by: Garity Chapman

Time To Get Your Hands Dirty

There is an amazing momentum in HRM around local food and and community gardens. Our city boasts over 30 collectively run garden spaces which include gardens at our Universities, public schools, city parks and community organizations. The people working in these spaces are some of the loveliest I’ve known and have made my job a sincere pleasure for over five years now.

If you are new to the city, or new the garden scene there are lots of ways to lend a hand, learn some skills and get a whole new perspective on this sweet little city of ours. The best way is to simply show up and introduce yourself. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty you will very soon be loved.

Before you put on your sneakers and run out into the streets, searching for gardens to love, you can check out what is going on with a few handy resources. 

For a map of all the gardens in the city plus a calender of garden workshops and celebrations, check out the Halifax Garden Network website for regular updates on what’s what. There is also a great toolbox section for those looking for some resources on all things city garden.

For those wanting to become better gardeners, there are lots of free and low-cost workshops in the city. One teaching garden is the SeeMore Green Garden on the Dalhousie Campus. They host workshops regularly during the summer months, and more spontaneously during the cooler seasons.  There are also lots of other gardens who host various workshops throughout the year and all of these workshops get posted on the HGN calender, as well as sent out over the GardenHalifax listserve which anyone is welcome to join. Some exciting events coming up soon are:

• Compost workparty, Friday Sept. 30th at 2:30 p.m. at the Bloomfield Community Garden.
• Tea party, Sunday Oct. 2nd at 1 p.m. at the SeeMore Green Garden.
• Bloomfield Community Greenhouse Grand Opening, Saturday Oct. 15th 2-5 p.m. at the Bloomfield Centre

Here at the Urban Garden Project we always are looking for extra hands and volunteering is a great way to help. We need folks with all sorts of skills and various time commitments. Some things we are looking for people to help with are:

• Tending to school gardens and bringing children out to the gardens.
• Collecting organic materials from local cafes/restaurants for our soils.
• Helping shovel, build, pile things in community gardens.
• Making posters, writing blog posts, taking photos/video of our events.
• Helping with childcare/children’s activities at workshops.
• Facilitating a workshop on your favorite garden skill.

To lend a hand contact Garity at the Urban Garden Project, we’ll ask you what gets you excited, and get you set-up with a project.

Each garden is different and has its own gems. Hop on your bike, or on the bus and adventure to one far from your house or in a neighborhood you haven’t ventured to before. Pick a beautiful day, pack a lunch and see if the city feels different afterwards.

Written by: Garity Chapman, Urban Garden Project