 May 25, 2011 Post Dig Day ! (Next steps)
6.30- 8.00 p.m. Thursday, May 26th, 2011.
Hearth Room HSCA, 1320 5th Avenue N.W.
Agenda
I. Garden planting guidance (Kate & Ken)
a. When and what.
II. Construction tasks – post Big Dig (All – 60 mins)
a. Trails and paths
b. Drainage improvement from communal suburbs to dry pond
c. Planting out – what, where, how much to do?
d. Wheelchair beds – finding a practical design
e. Finishing the wicking beds – who and when?
f. Tool shed, compost bins – 2011 season
g. Agree dates for next construction.
III. Future design and plans (All 20 mins)
a. The berm – sculpting and planting
b. Soil testing
c. IBI landscaping plan for phase 3,4,5 and future construction
d. South gateway, west gateway, garden to parking path
IV. Money
a. A treasurer is required
b. Donations from garden centres
c. Other donations worth pursuing
d. Swizzlesticks donation?
May 2, 2011 Last week, the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association was one of the selected community groups from across Canada who received a generous donation from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Representatives from HSCA were on hand at TD Canada Trust North Hill Branch to receive a giant novelty cheque in the amount of $5,000 to be directed towards the Kensington Community First Garden – a grassroots project that will see the development of a community garden here on our Community Centre grounds. All of the prospective gardeners were extremely excited about this development as it means they can actually start purchasing materials for their first build day which is coming up in the next few weeks! While this cheque presentation certainly will not be the last, this early support for the garden project – a true community initiative – was absolutely mission critical. Thank you TD Canada Trust!
 The Big Cheque! Featured in this photograph (from left to right): James Michi, Executive Director of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association, Nancy Anderson, TD Canada Trust North Hill Branch Manager, Meredith Petrie, Fundraising Chair for the KCF Garden, and Charles Hwang, I CEI Lead, Sales and Customer Experience, Prairie Region I TD Canada Trust. Of course, a huge debt of gratitude is also owed to Meredith Petrie for seeking out this fantastic grant opportunity (and dozens of others like it) in order to make the financing of the garden a possibility. So thank you Meredith!
Not featured in this photograph are more than a dozen individuals who’ve committed a great deal to this project, namely Jim Stirling, Chair of the KCF Garden Project, Natalia Zoldak, who’s been a key player in the design and organization of the garden, and Ken Uyeda who’s been integral in the mapping of the garden site and who was kind enough to take the picture. Our hats are off to all of you folks as well!
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) celebrates and strives to protect the earth every day. Since 1990, TD FEF has provided more than $54 million in support to more than 19,500 grassroots environmental projects in communities just like Hillhurst-Sunnyside.
Feb 3, 2011 And Sow It Grows …
In 1989, the year that the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden was first planted, another of the community garden’s wonderful neighbours came into being.
It all started the day Jo Anne Pauling looked out of her dining room window up toward Sunnyside Hill. What Jo Anne saw was a beautiful natural area in need of serious help. What she heard was a call to action to try to preserve the hill from the progressive erosion that was threatening to destroy this unique landscape.
Jo Anne was a member of the HSCA Environment Committee and shared her concern about Sunnyside Hill with them. The Committee got the ball rolling by asking the city to help to stabilize the escarpment. The whole project was kicked off
in July 1990 by officially naming the escarpment McHugh Bluff, after Felix McHugh. The McHughs were the first homesteaders in Sunnyside, and Felix McHugh (1851-1912) was an early Calgary businessman and rancher. The McHugh Bluff Natural Area Committee was formed and developed sweeping and ambitious objectives: the stabilization and naturalization of two kilometres of escarpment from 10th Street NW to Centre Street. Each spring from 1991 to 1993, the Committee’s dedicated and tireless efforts culminated in thousands of evergreen seedlings, young trees, and wild flowers being planted along the Bluff. These incredible events involved hundreds of community volunteers of all ages, students and teachers from Sunnyside, Rosedale, and Queen Elizabeth Schools, foresters, engineers, landscapers, aldermen, local businesses, funding supporters, the Barry McHugh family, and the indispensable services of twelve friendly llamas and their owners.
Can you imagine it? The newly named McHugh Bluff was alive with the buzz of inspired people and exotic creatures ferrying large red sacks of tiny seedlings up to ready hands and smiling faces. George Pauling has created an excellent commemorative photo album depicting these events, a copy of which is at the HSCA office. As Jo Anne Pauling describes it, “the project planted an interest and brought four communities together in a wonderful way”. What began that day at Jo Anne’s dining room window sparked a passion for a beautiful hillside, which lives on in the hearts and minds of the people in the surrounding communities.
Linda Burtch is a resident of Sunnyside and wishes to thank Jo Anne and George Pauling for their contribution to this story.
Jan 4, 2011 And Sow It Grows …
In 1989, the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Garden was born, along with a lovely small park just to the west of the garden’s gate. This little park is one of the sweet spots in the neighbourhood. Shaped like a natural armchair, the backrest of trees, shrubs, and beautiful perennials in spring and summer creates a friendly welcome. A picnic table invites visitors to sit and enjoy a peaceful pause from life’s perpetual motion. If you have visited the park on a summer day, you may have met Jim Hollicky; perhaps he was busy tending the boulder lined pathways he has created recently. Jim is a long time
community garden member and he spends many days in the park sowing his special kind of TLC.
Just steps away toward McHugh Bluff is the new community orchard. The orchard was planted by the city in 2009 as part of a unique five year pilot project. The young fruit trees growing in the small park, as well as the trees at the H-S Community Centre, are all part of this project.
Whatever the season, these young fruit trees give people pleasure. In the spring, many of the trees displayed beautiful blossoms. In the fall, the community orchard was a busy buffet stop for birds and squirrels who took full advantage of the fruit feast on offer. Against the winter’s landscape, the apple trees are a dance troupe of lovely sculptured shapes. On your next walkabout, stop by and explore the orchard; apricot, pear, apple and hazelnut trees grow in easy companionship in their place at the foot of the bluff. In their young and somewhat vulnerable stage, they will benefit from your interest and good energy. You can learn more about the community orchard on the HSCA website. In addition to the fruit trees, the small park and the orchard have one other important thing in common; both have yet to be given names. Perhaps that could change in 2011.
February’s article will tell the inspiring story of another one of the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Garden’s wonderful neighbours. Until then, New Year’s Greetings to everyone.
Linda Burtch is a resident of Sunnyside.
Dec 3, 2010 And Sow It Grows …
Sleepy…ZZZ…ZZZZZ…ZZZ… The Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden is tucked up in bed, bringing the 2010 gardening season to a close. The dark bared earth and one lone well used shovel, its wooden handle worn smooth and shiny, attest to the hard work achieved on cleanup day by over 40 HSC gardeners and five trusty wheelbarrows. As modern gardeners, they followed long standing customs as they worked with hand tools that have been used for thousands of years across many civilizations. The sounds and rhythms of their voices and tools working together still echo in the garden like a lullaby for the earth.
So with the garden well nourished and breathing softly under its warm compost blankets, one can stoke up the fire, and make a batch of chutney. How about rhubarb chutney, in honour of the old faithful plants that inhabit the HSCG? They are one of the first vegetables to announce the spring and some return again in the fall to say a final goodbye.
Rhubarb is a plant that can keep its secrets too. For many centuries, it was cultivated in China and subsequently in the Western world, only for medicinal purposes. It took until the 1800’s before it became appreciated for its culinary potential, and it soon became known as pieplant. Stewed, chutneyed, puddinged and pied, whatever your fancy, the possibilities for enjoyment are endless.
What a delicious way to preserve some of the season’s great memories.
It’s always satisfying to write up your own garden story too. Documenting the important and interesting things that happened in the garden naturally begins to plant new ideas and possibilities in the imagination; and long before the seed catalogues have arrived, elements of the next garden are beginning to take shape. Somehow it seems fitting that, in the stillness that marks the season’s end, the HSCG garden is discovered for the first time by two delighted walkers up on McHugh’s Bluff. One of them spots the garden through the naked poplars, and calls out to the other, “Hey look! There’s a community garden”. They’re already imagining spring,
I think. And so are we.
Linda Burtch is a resident of Sunnyside.
Aug 3, 2010 AND SOW IT GROWS…
There are many new gardeners this year at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside community garden, some of whom are also new to any kind of gardening. What has inspired these new gardeners to plant a garden?
For one newcomer, it comes down to green beans and friendship. “I love vegetables, especially green beans, and I still want a garden. What am I going to do?” she asks. Inspired by a friend and neighbour who is a community gardener at H-S, she joined the community garden and planted a plot close to her neighbour’s. Now she’s enjoying the neighbourhood feeling that exists at the H-S garden.
Mandy and Francis are two of the new gardeners at H-S. Here’s how Mandy describes their experience:
“Francis and I are really enjoying having our garden. We check up on it and get quite proud whenever we see a new shoot of something popping up! Apart from planting a few herbs on our balcony in previous years, this is our first hand at gardening and we have already learned so much from the other gardeners.
So far we have cauliflower and spinach coming up, and I think some potatoes. Being a vegetarian, I am really hoping to eat some of my really fresh produce this summer. This is one of the main reasons for getting the plot. Just can’t wait for some warmer days to get down there in the dirt!!”
I happened to meet another new H-S gardener at the Wednesday Farmer’s Market, and the conversation turned to vegetables. He was beaming with pride and amazement at the growing going on, and was quite pleased about the birth of his young broccoli. I really wanted to hand him a cigar. His enthusiasm was contagious and I walked away with a big smile on my face too.
Yes, bring on the warmer days, and maybe a little pep talk. After all, according to H.R.H. Prince Charles, a devoted organic gardener, “To get the best results you must talk to your vegetables.”
Linda Burtch is a resident of Sunnyside and is wondering what rousing words would conger up delicious yellow beans.
Jul 3, 2010 AND SOW IT GROWS – July 2010 article
There are 32 plots in the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Garden and close to 50 people of all ages involved in tending these plots. A “community of gardeners” is how Richard Smith, the Community Garden’s Committee Leader, describes the gardeners here. To get the season rolling, the gardeners gathered for the spring gardening day – a clean up and let’s-get-growing kind of event.
Mounds and hills, rows and 12” squares were seeded and stand by for the arrival of young seedlings (whenever the temperatures start to behave). Already growing strong are a multitude of onions; several varieties of garlic gifted from another community garden; tulips, some are souvenirs from Holland; and the old reliable, rhubarb.
Shooting up are the peas, spinach, lettuces, strawberry and raspberry plants, and a variety of herbs including lovage, the green giant among herbs, still petite at three feet. Beans, beets, radishes, chard, kohlrabi, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, corn, and more, are also on the bill this season.
Yes, a young gardening enthusiast and her family have taken up the corn challenge. Here’s how she begins their story:
“Corn. What images does that simple word conjure up? I don’t know about you, but I think of those tall, strong stalks, and large ears plump with silk and buttery yellow kernels. There is quite a contrast between that and the scraggly seedlings that we started around seven weeks ago underneath our living room couch. Well, I suppose it could be labelled an overly ambitious endeavour, growing corn in Calgary. That aside, it’s a hopeful mission – overcoming odds is what gardening is all about.”
Considering the astonishing biological magic quietly being performed night and day over in the garden by the bluff, I’m betting on the corn and the seeds and seedlings to triumph in the end. Drop by and cheer them on.
Linda Burtch is a resident of Sunnyside and is very keen on corn.
May 3, 2010 ARTICLE #1 – May 2010 Issue
AND SOW IT GROWS…
Today, it’s early April in the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden and the annual sense of anticipation and optimism called spring is in the air. The greening of McHugh’s Bluff has begun. Birds are singing their love songs, the air is charged with the smell of a recent rain, and the earth is softening. After long winter months of dreaming, planning, researching and revising, the gardener’s winter rest is almost over.
Viewed from the hillside, the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden’s unique triangular shape stands out. The garden plots themselves make an interesting pattern of rectangles and L’s, suggesting a section of patchwork quilt.
There is a beautiful welcome sign on the east side of the garden signed “Peña ’89”. This was the first year that digging and planting actually began in the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden, although the project had been in the works for several years. The dedicated and committed efforts of many brought the project to fruition, and so this 2010 season marks the garden’s 21st Birthday. There is also an impressive new sign on the west side of the garden, created in 2009 by sign carver, Don Cooper.
Although I haven’t seen anyone actually at work in the garden, there seems to be a hint of recent activity – bright white egg shells adorn the compost heap, dark mounds of freshly turned earth, and footprints in the soft soil.
Many of the gardeners have planted personalized artistic signs in their gardens, displaying colourful artwork and a variety of insects. I’m reminded of “The Secret World of Gardens”, the TV program which features the fascinating lives of insects living in the garden, as well as “Microcosmos”, a documentary starring an incredible cast of insects.
Standing at the west gate, I admire a border collie sloping by along the pathway, apparently herding imaginary sheep. It’s then that I notice another dog standing quietly just inside the gate. He’s a very small black breed and he seems to be waiting patiently for someone to happen by for a word. Although he’s really made of metal, his spirit is no less alive.
Beyond the little dog, a pair of bright yellow garden gloves are suspended on short plant poles, and are ready for action; the right hand giving a friendly wave, the left offering the peace sign.
In the background, a table and chairs (actually sturdy sections of tree trunk) are arranged campfire style on a new deck, awaiting this season’s buzz of gardening activity.
As I walk around the garden, I am surprised and delighted to discover bright green shoots of new growth pushing through the earth in several of the plots. I cannot claim to be an expert gardener, and am only a beginner at growing edibles, so I won’t try to identify what this new growth will eventually become. Time will tell. Another new season of opportunity awaits the gardeners who will arrive over the next few weeks to plant this year’s vision. The infinitely long growing season of the imagination stretches out ahead, and promises an abundant harvest and the rich and rewarding experience that tending a garden offers. In the world of gardening, hope springs eternal.
Look for an update next month about what’s happening in the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden. The garden will be well into the new season by then. The Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden is a real gem in the heart of our neighbourhood. Take a walk over for a visit.
Linda Burtch
(Linda Burtch is a resident of Sunnyside and first fell in love with gardens at the age of two.)
|
|
: 
: 
Leave your comment