Forget designer condos, some of hottest real estate in the City of Vancouver is a plot in your local community garden.
Green thumbs throughout the city can expect at least a few new community gardens to sprout up this spring and summer, but demand is still far outstripping supply.
According to Maryclare Zak of the citys social planning department, community consultations are already underway for new gardens on the site of the old Mount Pleasant Community Centre at Ontario and 16th Avenue, and another near the Neighbourhood Energy Utility under the Cambie Bridge, plus there are discussions for a few other unsecured sites. So there are gardens in the works, said Zak.
However, despite the more than 3,200 plots in about 70 gardens throughout the city, there is still an extensive wait list for prospective gardeners with more than 500 names, said Zak. So theres certainly lots of demand and lots of interest.
Zak added the social planning department and the Vancouver Park Board will be going to city council in May with new targets for increasing food security and community garden plots in the city over the next 10 years.
She said for now, staff are aiming for two to three new gardens per year with 60 to 100 plots total. But were working to see if we can increase that.
In the meantime, Emily Jubenvill, green spaces co-ordinator for the Vancouver Public Space Network, said shell be working with the city and community groups on situating gardens more creatively so as not to compromise recreation space.
The Nelson Park community garden is a really good example of how were starting to design our parks differently, she said. Instead of the classic community garden in a big, square plot, its the perimeter of an off-leash dog area... It makes use of space that otherwise would have just been grass, or not even big enough to sit on.
At least one community is getting a big, square plot this summer, however. A new garden is already secured for an empty city-owned lot on Kaslo Street across from the 29th Avenue SkyTrain station that can accommodate dozens of gardeners.
Co-ordinator Cinthia Pagé said the garden will be open to all residents of the neighbourhood, though new immigrants and people with developmental disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. Pagé runs a gardening program called Can You Dig It in association with PosAbilities, an organization supporting people with developmental disabilities that operates 16 gardens in Lower Mainland, including three in East Vancouver.
For Pagé, its no mystery why community gardens keep shooting, and filling, up. We really use community gardens as a way to promote community inclusion, empowerment and a way to connect with your neighbours and really be part of your community, said Pagé.
While most Can You Dig It gardens have around 30 plots and a short wait list, she believes the newest site on Kalso street is spacious enough to accommodate up to 80 people. Interested residents should attend the first meeting for garden organizers March 6 at 6pm at the Slocan Park Field House right across from the garden.
Neighbourhood resident Clélie Rich hopes to be one of the first gardeners to secure a plot at the new site.
Im just longing to grow vegetables, Rich told WE in an interview. A condo-dweller, Rich said shes limited to growing flowers in a container garden at her home, but seeing a friends plot in the Strathcona Community Garden inspired her to start looking for a space she could start growing food. It just was so nice to be in such a huge open space that was all dedicated to growing things. At one point I considered putting myself on the list for the Strathcona one, but its a very, very long wait, she said.
When a letter arrived notifying her of the impending garden, Rich said she was elated. Adding to her excitement about the garden is the opportunity to get to know more people in her community.
Its the growing stuff and the community stuff, she said.
While gardens are a hot commodity in most neighbourhoods, there are a few plots opening up around this time of year. Would-be gardeners should check out the list of gardens on the citys social planning page or at CityFarmer.ca.
reporter@westender.com
