Spring planting is highly anticipated in Coaldale among residents eager to launch a community garden.
Town council recently approved a site for the new garden and a group of gardeners are already making plans to carry the idea through to actual planting.
Julie Landry-DeBoer, speaking on behalf of the community garden supporters, said the group is a sub-committee of the local Communities in Bloom. She said a group of about five eager gardeners are ready to share their enthusiasm with local residents at an open house Wednesday, April 13 at the Coaldale Public Library.
“We definitely want user groups to come out. It’s for everybody.”
The open house will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and the group will have conceptual drawings and information on hand for local residents to review.
Excited to launch the community garden, Landry-DeBoer said the idea of growing such a garden in Coaldale has been around for a few years. Last spring a group interested in developing the idea got together to discuss the need for a community garden in the town.
This winter, with additional support for the idea growing in the community, a plan was presented to town council and gained the approval necessary to secure a site for the garden.
She said the group has tried to incorporate ideas from different user groups in order to make the garden as accessible as possible to residents of the town. Raised beds and paved paths have been incorporated in the overall design.
The site approved by the town for the garden is just west of the health care centre and east of the walking path within the borders of Millennium Park. The town approved a plot of land 100 metres by 30 metres for the garden.
“We’ve had lots of good feedback.”
Landry-DeBoer grew up on a farm where her family had a huge garden. She said she loves canning and being able to enjoy fresh vegetables from her own garden each year. Although her home garden is very small, she looks forward the most to fresh tomatoes each fall.
“I can’t go a year without fresh tomatoes.”
She is now looking forward to next Wednesday’s open house and hopes local residents interested in a community garden will stop in to view the conceptual drawings and ask questions of the committee.