There is a new option in Niverville for those who like to garden but don’t have access to their own garden plot. The town’s brand-new Community Gardens are open to anyone to rent for the season.
Cassandra Falk, the Camps and Recreation Programmer for the Town of Niverville, has taken the lead on the coordination of the Community Gardens.
“We recognized a need in the community and decided this was the perfect opportunity, as more residents are interested in doing their own gardening during this pandemic,” says Falk about the decision to launch the project.
The 16 garden plots are located on the east side of the Niverville Curling Club. Eight of the plots are standard in-ground gardening areas and are a spacious eight feet by 16 feet.
The other eight are conveniently raised beds that are four feet by eight feet in size.
Niverville’s recreation staff will till and stake out the plots at the beginning of each gardening season. They will also keep an eye on the area to make sure the rules are being followed.
There are only a few regulations to be followed in the Community Gardens. Most of these rules involve keeping your garden as free of weeds as possible, being mindful that your garden doesn’t encroach on anyone else’s area, and ensuring that your plants don’t grow so tall that they block the sun from hitting anyone else’s plants.
Gardeners are also required to have their space completely emptied out by September 30 of each year.
“The gardens are open to anyone,” says Falk. “For those who may not have the space to garden at their homes, this is a chance for them to grow their own vegetables.”
At this time, there is only one unrented plot remaining—one of the raised beds. But Falk says that if it appears that more plots could be used by area residents, there is a lot of space for the town to expand the gardens.
“Our hope is that each year we can grow our Community Gardens,” Falk says.
Either style of gardening plot rents for $35 plus GST for the season.