For two years now, the Niverville Community Gardens have been helping Niverville residents without a greenspace—and the town hopes to grow the program in 2023.
Last year, all of the garden spaces were rented out, while this year 15 out of the 16 available spaces were booked.
Despite the wet spring, gardeners of all skill levels have been enjoying the space, and many plants are lush and thriving.
How’s it Growing?
As a brand-new space, both gardeners and organizers are learning what is working and what is needed to make the space better. The sizes available—either four-by-eight-foot raised beds or eight-by-sixteen-foot garden plots—seem to be meeting most gardeners’ needs.
Though the wet spring made some areas mushy, mulch has been laid between the beds to make pathways passable. And water is available through a faucet on the exterior of the curling club building next to the gardens.
“We bring the hose and the water is supplied right out of the rink, which is great,” says Stephen Nelson, one of the gardeners using the site.
At the cost of $40 per plot for the year, Nelson figures it covers the cost of the water utility at least, especially if it would have been a dry year.
“I think it’s reasonable,” Nelson says. “I mean, you’re going to get $40 worth of produce, for sure.”
Nelson is glad it hasn’t been a dry year, though the wet spring meant a late start for many gardeners.
“I was anxious to get in,” he says. “It was very squishy. I know they were waiting to get in here with the bigger machinery to till it for us and we had to wait quite a while. I had already picked up some plants and came in to till my own by hand, which I didn’t mind. It was so wet. I understand.”
Even after they were able to plant, the deluges washed out some of what got planted.
“I had to reseed and reseed. I planted about 50 bean seeds and that’s what’s left,” says Nelson, gesturing to about five to ten plants. “Either that or an animal got them.”
The curling club and the railroad tracks flank the area, with a parking lot to the south and open field to the north. It is the open field that Nelson says could allow deer access to the garden site, but it could just as likely be rabbits.
Many gardeners bring in protective fencing, which they supply themselves.
Nelson lives just a few minutes away by bike and doesn’t have access to a yard where he could grow his own fresh foods. He says most garden users live close by in condos where they could have pots on their balcony, but the area is too limited to grow a significant amount of vegetables. This way, he produces more than enough veggies for the whole year.
“I’ve still got tomatoes in my freezer from last year,” Nelson says. “I grow what I need, but I also give away to family and friends. I’m going to have so many tomatoes soon.”
Christiane Leclerc also lives nearby and is enjoying the garden space.
“We live in a condo and this was great for the last couple seasons, as I always wanted to grow my own,” says Leclerc. “These gardens have been a great addition to our community to allow for people who may not have space at home to grow their very own fresh produce.”
Most of what is growing is doing really well. Tomatoes, zucchini, squash, potatoes, beans, and carrots can be seen in most of the gardens, as well as a variety of annual flowers to attract the pollinators.
“I’m not a seasoned gardener, but with the help of Google and family and friends, I learnt to do square foot gardening plan in one raised garden box,” she says. “This allowed me to grow a good amount of produce and I found it helped with weed control, too.”
Despite the obvious benefit of acquiring low-cost veggies, Nelson says that he just loves to garden and is enjoying being outside at a space with other gardeners. He used to live in a big city and says this program brings positive benefits for the community.
“I come every night. I just like it,” he says. “I used to live in Ottawa and it was hard to get a space like this. As soon as this program opened, I was in. I knew it was going to be excellent. It’s something positive to do and I enjoy it.”
According to Nelson, night is the best time to come and he tries to be respectful of other gardeners and come later so there isn’t a long wait to access the water.
Sharing the water doesn’t seem to be a problem; the mosquitoes on the other hand have been a challenge.
“They’re horrible,” says Nelson.
What’s Next?
Nelson says the program has great potential. He’s understanding of the mud in some areas and the soft mulch due to the wet spring. There are an abundance of weeds at the edges of the site and the sparsely landscaped area could use some maintenance and beautification.
“I just bring my weed whacker when I see the need for it. It doesn’t bother me,” says Nelson. “But it’s true the grass gets long. None of us have a lawnmower we could bring in here, that’s for sure.”
While the dog park is under construction and landscaping is not complete around the CRRC area, most gardeners from last year returned this year and are enjoying the space. He would like to see a compost bin and some sort of cover to provide shade for the gardeners to take breaks.
“I’m not asking for anything elaborate like a big structure, but just something to protect us from the sun,” says Nelson. “Maybe a picnic table or something to give the community a place to gather and take breaks, eat our lunch. That sort of thing.”
Warren Britton, manager at the CRRC, says they are listening to the feedback provided by the gardeners and there are plans in the works to expand the program.
“We are planning on adding some compost options that will connect with the composter at the CRRC,” says Britton. “While shade isn’t currently in the plans, it’s not out of the question.”
Communities in Bloom also runs a community garden site near the Heritage Life Centre. Organizers have indicated they would be open to running gardening seminars with anyone who’s interested and would welcome the opportunity to coordinate something with the town.
“That’s always a possibility,” says Britton. “We work very closely with Communities in Bloom on various things throughout town.”
With lots of room to grow, Nelson says the gardeners are excited to see what is happening around the CRRC and the residents who are able to access its many programs.
“Everybody says it’s already better than it was last year,” he says. “We’re all getting the hang of it. Every year it’s improving.”
