Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Community Garden

Photo of Pitt Meadows Community Garden, July 2008
11410 Bonson Road

Interview with Diane Brinton that was given to the Maple Ridge Times.

How many people approximately have plots in the garden?

48 plots – the garden is laid out in 15 x 30 ft. plots, but an individual plot is 15 x 15 feet. Some members have double garden plots. There are four raised accessible gardens, two are in use now. There are two buildings (shipping container type) on site – one tool shed and the other with bathroom facilities and a small room with table and chairs.

How did you get involved in the project?

I have always been an keen gardener without space in my garden for veggies. I had my name on the wait list at the previous garden’s Harris Road location, so when the garden was moved to this location I was able to get a garden plot.

What kind of things are you personally growing in the garden?

All the vegetables that I consider to be “choice” when freshly picked or varieties that aren’t readily available in the markets –heirloom tomatoes, peas, Borloti beans, green beans, Desiree potatoes, rainbow Swiss chard, baby butter lettuce, carrots, yellow and striped beets, round yellow zucchini, black radishes, cardoon and shallots. We have brought seeds back during our travels overseas – pink runner beans and sweat peas from the Chelsea Flower show, Cardoon and borloti beans from Italy. It’s always fun to experiment.

Some members plant flowers as well. We encourage gardeners to donate any extra veggies grown to the local women’s shelter or food bank.

How often are you down there?

Usually every other day for watering, weeding and harvesting. Daily if it’s sunny and dry.

If you could tell me a little more about life at the garden. Do people hang out and talk or is it mostly people just working on the garden? Do they listen to music, sing, any anecdotes you can think of.

We don’t do much singing or listening to music – yet, as most of us are working hard to get the garden finished. As time goes on I’m sure we’ll have a bit more relaxing time – a shady tree, a chair and maybe a new friend or two.

The garden members are of various ages. We want it to be a family place, for young and old. The first planting in the spring was the busiest and a few gardeners arrive sporadically during the day (as there are retired members as well as working ones). Because many of the garden members are new to the Community garden and even new to gardening, we’ve been getting to know one another and helping each other out.

If I arrive at the garden, I usually tour around and see how everyone’s plants are growing, chat to those I know and introduce myself to those I don’t, then weed, water or harvest my garden and any of the common areas near me. Moving plants from the old garden, hauling soil, building beds, planting, weeding, watering, moving tools, – it’s been a very busy time for all of us.

During our first few weeks at the garden we met, Trish, a lady who uses one of the accessible beds. She was having trouble with the clay soil, since she broke her wrist she couldn’t cultivate the heavy soil. She had removed soil from her old garden plot but couldn’t get it here because she had driven to the garden on her scooter. I offered to drive her to her condo, load up some soil and help her get it into the raised bed. Luckily when we returned to the garden with my van laden with heavy bags of soil, my husband was waiting. I don’t think I would have been tall enough (I’m only 5’ 1”) or strong enough to heave several green garbage bags of soil up into the bed.

Much of the construction of garden beds and gravel pathways was done by Corrections department work crews. The inmates even planted their own small garden – a garden member had some extra seedlings, so they put top soil in a bed and planted it with the seedlings.

We recently moved shrubs and perennials from the Harris Road site to the new garden. We are in the process of creating a “living fence” around the new garden – plants & shrubs that attract bees, butterflies and birds.

The whole garden is a work in progress and is not yet completed, we are anxious for donations – soil for the garden plots, gravel for pathways, tools and plants for the living fence. We would particularly like to thank Meadows Landscape for their donation of composted manure.

Life in the community garden, for that matter any garden, is good for the soul. Dirt works!

Community Gardens in Greater Vancouver and Victoria