News

By Emma Geldart

Hidden among the famous Alumni Gardens, the Rock Garden and the Herb Garden at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus is one amazing little garden with its own unique story. From strawberries to blueberries and asparagus to rhubarb the Community Garden is the proud home to many different fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers. An ice breaker for new students and a place of tranquility for local gardeners, the Community Garden has lots to offer to the university and local community. It continues to be a huge success among the students and community year after year.     

In 2009, a student in environmental science developed the Community Garden as a fourth year project. Now, six years later, the 500 square foot community garden is thriving as an essential part of the campus and the surrounding community. Consisting of 50 plots and approximately 75 gardeners, the garden acts as a place for community members, faculty, staff and students to experiment and share gardening ideas. For $15, members of the community can rent a plot to plant their own personal garden. With garden tools, compost, mulch and some seeds and transplants available, gardeners are only responsible for providing their own organic seeds and enthusiasm. 

Community Garden Coordinator, Shanthanu Krishnakumar is a fourth year environmental science student majoring in landscape horticulture. A first time role for Shanthanu, the Community Garden Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the rented plots and cleaning the garden in the spring, seed orders, and other general garden issues or inquiries. An avid gardener himself, Shanthanu also tends to his own plot in the Community Garden.

“I have planted green onions, red onions, peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant and watermelons,” Shanthanu says. “A little of everything!”

Coordinating the garden is no small task for Shanthanu. Last year, a fence was constructed to keep deer out of the garden. This year, the fence was completed, doors were constructed at both entrances to the garden, new plot signs were installed, and flowers were planted to beatify the entrance of the garden. An irrigation system was also installed to facilitate easy watering.

Although Shanthanu is the coordinator and main contact for the Community Garden, he stressed that maintaining the garden is a team effort. Jeff Morton (Senior Instructor, Landscape Architecture and Horticulture) has acted as a mentor for developing the garden. Chris Nelson (Senior Instructor, Engineering), Darwin Carr (Botanical Garden Manager), Krista MacLeod (Greenhouse Manager), Crops Unit Staff, Botanical Garden Staff and members of the garden have all played a major role in maintaining the garden and have helped made the garden a success.

The Community Garden will be open during Community Open House on July 23 and will host a variety of activities for people of all ages. There will be a tour of the Community Garden explaining the benefits of growing your own food, kits for growing your own vegetables to be given away to kids, lemonade and an activity on planting garlic. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

“We want to highlight the Community Garden this year during Community Open House,” Shanthanu explains. “Not many people know it even exists. The garden is an integral part of our campus as most of the faculty, staff and students apart form a few community members who stay over the summer grow their food here and we really feel a sense of community and friendship.”