We could not have asked for a better day on Wednesday to start with the construction of the Trafalgar Community Garden. With wheelbarrows, buckets, shovels and rakes, volunteer students, staff and faculty helped in creating the newly designed garden between A-Wing and the Athletics Centre, beside the native perennial garden. The garden features 12 plots. Two plots are raised accessible garden beds constructed out of cedar, and the other 10 plots are farm beds which is a mounded area (6”) over top pre-existing soil with which deeper rooting plants can further root into. All plots are surrounded by wood chips to help control weeds and to make the site less muddy. The garden will also feature a pollinator patch to help attract useful pollinating insects, bees and butterflies to the site.
This year the community garden has over 50 participants signed up in groups of 4 or more to help learn more about sustainable gardening practices. Participants range from gardening experts to those who have never garden before. The goal is to help promote health, creating learning opportunities, create a sense of community as well as beautify the campus.
A special thank you to the fantastic volunteers and gardeners who came out to move soil and mulch to help bring the new design to life!
Due to the recent frost warnings, most planting will not occur until after the long-May weekend. The Garden Community is currently growing seedlings at Trafalgar Campus that will be available to participants. More updates and pictures to come!
For more information please contact CommunityGarden@sheridancollege.ca or visit our website: http://missionzero.sheridancollege.ca/get-involved/community-garden/
Sheridan’s Community Garden has been made possible thanks to the Sheridan Garden Committee (Jessica Carey, Nathan Nettleton, Anna Pautler, Matthew Sanche, Andrew Staples, Michelle Szabo), the President’s Creative Challenge and TD Friends of the Environment.