Growing a garden and a community

Claire Ryan’s latest FUSION Saint John article appeared in today’s Telegraph-Journal:

This summer I’ll be making my foray into the world of gardening, having recently signed up for a plot in the south end community garden. In doing so, I’ll have the opportunity to spend time in one of my community’s green spaces and become better acquainted with my neighbours, most of whom I do not ordinarily see in my day-to-day travels.

“The garden is not just a place to plant flowers and vegetables,” says Mark Leger, a FUSION board member involved in overseeing in the garden. “It’s also a gathering spot for community members, a place to get to know your neighbours and share tips about gardening.”

The garden is located on Broad Street and has been home to a handful of south end gardening enthusiasts since 2001. As renovation efforts get underway for Rainbow Park, the garden will benefit from a series of improvements to the space.

The south end garden is one of three community gardens in the city that serve as green spaces for community members. In the south end, the garden has already served as the impetus for community engagement beyond the garden itself. This year, gardener Milville Couture and students from St. John the Baptist/King Edward School planted beds and he will help them tend to their plants throughout the summer, allowing the students to see the plants through to maturity.

“It’s a great experience for them to learn about growing food for themselves,” Leger said. “Over the years, they have come to the garden to watch us plant. They’ve always had questions and wanted to help and they are now getting the opportunity through the program at the school. Milville is nurturing a new generation of green thumbs, who will eventually have gardens of their own.”

The south central peninsula is a diverse area, but the lack of available green spaces is the common denominator that links neighbours. What appealed to me (and what will hopefully appeal to other would-be gardeners in communities throughout Saint John) is that becoming a part of a community garden is really a multi-faceted opportunity. The people involved will not only be honing their gardening skills, they will become a part of a social network in their community, one that is making a significant investment in a shared green space.

“People lead busy lives, shuttling back and forth between work and their homes,” Leger noted. “Green spaces like gardens and parks get people out in their communities in their leisure time.”

Sometimes getting involved in your community requires you to get your hands dirty. In this case, the analogy is quite literal. By digging into a community garden, gardeners will get much more than some perennials or a few heads of lettuce. They will be part of the network reinvigorating the south end, and on a larger scale, Greater Saint John itself.

Plots in the south end community garden, located on Broad Street, are available to individuals, families, businesses or organizations. For more information on the community garden, please visit us online at www.fusionsj.com.