Your Green Thumb

The Roof Committee has been very busy and we are happy to announce there are some new gardens available on the new roof!

NEW GARDENERS

So far the waiting list is shorter than the number of gardens available…which is awesome!

Some are 'starter gardens', also known as the 'blue boxes' of (2x2') if you'd like to learn. Five of the 2x4' gardens are flowers only and two huge community gardens are looking for volunteers. So, all to say, there's room for your green thumb on the new roof.

If you'd like to apply for a garden, or volunteer for a community one please contact:
Suzanne at suzan.ayscough@gmail.com or Anne Chislett at anne.chislett@rogers.com

PREVIOUS GARDENERS

Anyone and everyone who was ever on a garden waiting list at PAL, and the roof committee volunteers have been accommodated--and there are some gardens still available. 

Noting here that some years you cannot give a garden away, and other years there's been a waiting list (I've done the research back 30 years). The trend has been to have more people gardening with smaller amounts of space for herbs, tomatoes and salad greens, so that became the mantra for the Roof Committee's Master Plan--to have more, but smaller gardens--so each individual garden is contained (therefore no 'scope creep' as in days of old), meaning some 20 more residents can garden.

GARDEN GUIDELINES

There are Garden Guidelines in the works (currently being set by the Roof Committee to the PAL Board, its MRC and ED; for approval), but hard rules (from engineers who don't want to see roof cracks from roots again) include: NO poisonous or invasive plants, and NO trees, bushes or plants with long roots. Gardens MUST be cared for or the roof committee will re-assign them. If a gardener has health issues, they just ask and we will attempt to help care for the garden in the meantime (it's already been done). And please remember that gardens are a privilege, not a right.

We thank all the gardeners for all their hard work beautifying our roof and beginning to provide food for PAL residents--via PAL's Pantry--from the Community Gardens. Those who volunteer for community gardens also reap the benefits and share in the food they produce. 

Here’s a draft map of what is currently in the works.

  • 2 Community Gardens - which will require 5-6 volunteers each

  • Gardens & Boxes for 56 gardeners (approximately 20 more than the previous roof)

  • 49 individual gardens - 39 are 4x4 ft. & 10 are 2x4 ft.

    • Note: Garden 31 is reserved for an individual with mobility issues due to its proximity to the hose.

  • 5 2x4 Gardens (10-14 A in pink on the map) which are for flowers only.

  • 7 blue boxes (starter gardens, or herb/tomato gardens) … placement still to be determined

Please feel free to reach out with any queries at suzan.ayscough@gmail.com