St. Andrew’s Centre Community Garden

Description:

Although 2001 was our first official year as a community garden, St. Andrew’s Centre Community Garden members had been actively gardening for five years prior to that.  The gardeners, ranging in age from 70 to 95 years old, live independently in apartments at this senior’s residence.

When the Centre was constructed, large decorative, wooden planters were built in three courtyards outside and planted with trees and shrubs.  Over the past 11 years, many of the shrubs and trees have died and been removed, giving the residents an opportunity to garden.

The garden boxes are arranged in groupings.  Having the boxes adjoined makes for better conversation and visiting between gardeners.  The layout of the boxes also offers some shady areas and places to attach lattice.  The lower boxes are wide enough to sit on the edge.  Over time, the height of the taller boxes has been reduced by about 6 inches, making them just the right height to lean on your elbows and garden.

The soil in the boxes is amended every 1 to 2 years with a combination of peat moss, coffee grounds and granular fish fertilizer, or manure and compost.  Water is available in every courtyard from a tap with a hose connected. 

We have found there are a number of ways to make gardening more accessible for seniors, including the following:

• create large, raised garden boxes.
• put the boxes on a level, even surface like pavement or concrete in a sunny area.
• have lots of benches to sit on and room to get around the boxes with walkers and scooters.
• have water, tools, and garbage containers close at-hand.
• feed the soil and not the plants, keep the gardens weed free and don’t use chemicals. 

The garden boxes at St. Andrew’s Centre provide the residents with many of the benefits of community gardening.  It is an opportunity to  grow fresh vegetables and to supplement their food supply.  It provides a healthy outdoor activity that keeps residents young and is a rehabilitative activity for people with health challenges.  Gardening reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, reduces muscle tension and restores a sense of well being.

The garden boxes are filled with a combination of flowers and vegetables that stimulates memories and conversation among the residents. The gardens reduce air pollution, air temperatures, street noises and storm water runoff. Most important, the gardens entice all the residents and visitors to come outside, sit in the sun, and smell the flowers.

Challenges, Needs, and Barriers:

1. Compost, and seeds are needed each year.

2. Hand tools, preferably ergonomic, and longer-handled tools are needed.

3. We are currently trying to access funds and/or resources to rebuild the existing garden boxes that are deteriorating from rot.

4. We would like to participate in workshops, however, our special needs make it difficult to travel to speaker engagements.  We would like to host slide shows and lectures, and guarantee these events would be well attended by our members.

5. To tour other community gardens, we would require transportation