Clear plant labels showing both common and botanic names make the park educational as well as enjoyable . The garden is a great boon to the community , and not just to the volunteers who gain satisfaction out of fostering beauty and growth through their hard work , but also to casual visitors who can enjoy the beauty , serenity , and calm that is the result of so much collective effort .
St . Albert isn ’ t the only place in Alberta to set aside land , time , and effort to enhance their communities . As a longtime member of the Alberta Horticultural Association and a judge for Communities in Bloom , I have seen this effort repeated again and again in many different towns and cities .
The individual reasons why volunteers find themselves in community gardens are as varied as the plants that can be found there . For some , the pace of life feels so fast that they begin looking for a way to slow down . Others feel cut off from nature as a result of dense , urban living , and long to connect with something green and growing . Whatever challenges life presents , for many , community gardens can be the answer .
Community gardens are shared spaces where people grow vegetables , fruits , herbs , and flowers . In addition to supplying fresh food , community gardens promote physical activity , a deeper connection to nature , and community engagement . Community gardens may be organized into individual plots or allotments , group gardens , or mixed plots with trial gardens as in the St . Albert botanic garden .
These gardens can also be places of renewal . As populations of pollinators decline ,
“ Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together , drawing them from their homes .”
— Clare Ansberry , columnist , Wall Street Journal
community gardens can be an oasis for birds , butterflies , and bees , with plantings that provide blooms throughout the entire growing season . A xeriscape garden can demonstrate proper soil composition , mulch , and plant selection to conserve moisture in dry times .
If , physically or mentally , you are not prepared to garden , you can still enjoy therapeutic benefits by just being in a garden or forest . In Japan , it is known as “ forest bathing ” or shinrin-yoku . The sights , sounds , and feels of our natural environment cause us to slow down and engage our senses , resulting in increased energy and ability to focus . It is also believed that having our hands in the soil amid living organisms elevates our serotonin levels . Volunteers are the glue holding the St . Albert Botanic Garden and countless community gardens together . However , those volunteers are quick to state that volunteering in the gardens enriches their lives immeasurably by getting them out of their homes and into the natural environment where they have the opportunity to make connections with like-minded people .
I encourage you to take some time this summer to visit a community garden near you , if not to garden yourself , then just to walk among the growing things , to hear the buzz of insects , feel the sun on your face , and enjoy the powerful blooms of so many carefully cultivated flowers .
ARTA ’ s past president , Lorna McIlroy , has been gardening for over seventy years : in classrooms , community gardens , containers , city properties , and , of course , within and around her Grande Prairie home .
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