DIG Gardens
Care and Share Community Permaculture Garden
Location: Port Perry Fairgrounds
Established: 2013
Number of plots: 17+
Garden Coordinator: Mag Brown
Contact: suzmmb@gmail.com
Website: Care and Share Facebook
Directions: Just North of the West gate off Old Simcoe Road.
About Our Garden:
The Port Perry Care and Share Community Permaculture Garden humbly acknowledges that it occupies the ancestral and traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Its gardeners respectfully honour the knowledge and understanding of the Indigenous stewards of these ancestral lands which has shown us the gift of community, connection, and reverence.
Since 2013, the Care & Share Garden has evolved into a little Eden in the northwest corner of the Port Perry Fairgrounds. There are individually tended plots as well as communal ones with herbs and fruit as well as vibrant pollinator beds. We practice no dig techniques, are pesticide free and follow permaculture principles.
The Care and Share Permaculture Garden volunteers register annually with the garden rep and are expected to share in the care of the garden. A small fee is required for liability coverage with the Port Perry Agricultural Society. We grow a variety of nutrient dense vegetables which are donated locally. We are grateful for our generous sponsors who support our initiatives as the garden receives no ongoing financial support and relies on donations of compost, seeds and wood chips from caring businesses.
The Care & Share garden is the perfect therapeutic oasis. Its gardeners enjoy this calm and quiet garden and are never ceased to be amazed at the wonder of its active birds, busy pollinators and ever thriving plant life through each season.
Grassmere Garden of Health
Location: 115 Grassmere Ave., Oshawa, ON
Established: 2011
Number of plots:
Garden Coordinator: Ana Pacheco
Contact: kmcconkey@ochc.ca
Website: www.ochc.ca
Directions: The garden is located at the Oshawa Community Health Centre. To get here take Simcoe St. south just past Wentworth and turn west on Thomas Street. Take your first left on Ravine Rd, then your first right on Grassmere Ct.
About our garden:
The Grassmere Community Garden is a FREE community initiative open to residents of all ages interested in the process of growing healthy food. It offers the opportunity to share in the creation, maintenance and cultivation of the garden. The garden provides food, recreation and therapeutic opportunities for everyone involved.
Hebron Community Garden
Location: 4240 Anderson Street, Whitby, ON L1R 2W1
Established: 2013
Number of plots: 20+
Garden Coordinator: Andy Buwalda
Contact: hebroncommunitygarden@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Hebron-Community-Garden
Directions: North of Taunton Road on Anderson Street
About our garden:
Our garden is comprised of raised garden plots currently, 4 x 10 feet, with plans to build larger ones next year. Each bed is built with cedar logs and filled with triple mix soil and composted soil. A weed compost and a barrel watering system are available.
Hope Community Garden
Location: Hope Fellowship Church, 1685 Bloor St. Courtice
Established: 2012
Number of plots:
Garden Coordinator: Simon Muizelaar
Contact: janettedeboer@rogers.com
Website: sites.google.com/site/hopecommunitygardens
Directions: Just west of Courtice Road on South side of Bloor Street
About our garden:
The Hope Community Garden is a community outreach initiative of Hope Fellowship Church, providing gardening space to church and community members who do not have the space, or growing conditions, to garden at home.
The mission of Hope Community Garden is to strengthen community bonds by creating and sustaining a community garden space in Courtice that will foster environmental stewardship, horticultural education and outreach opportunities, and provide excess produce to community organizations.
· Create a Gardening Space for community interaction and fun across all ages, cultures and incomes;
· Create Local Sustainable Food Sources for area residents and Community Food Banks.
· Promote Sustainable Garden Practices such as organic gardening and on-site composting
Oshawa Harmony Community Garden
Location: 1661 Harmony Rd. N. Oshawa
Established: 2013
Number of plots: 45
Garden Coordinator: Gordon Dick
Contact: legendsgarden@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oshawagrows/
Directions: On the North side of the Delpark Homes Centre
About our garden:
The Oshawa Harmony Community Garden is located on the north side of the Delpark Homes Centre. Located on City property, the garden is open concept. Gardeners can access the garden from May to the end of October. A committee of volunteers oversees the garden and they are elected by the garden membership at an annual general meeting in March.Delpark Homes Centre
Maple Tree Community Garden
Location: Beside McCaskill Mills Public School in Cannington, Ontario
Established: 2009
Number of plots: 30
Garden Coordinator: Zoe Levitt
Contact: info@tndf.ca
Website:
Directions: North on Hwy 12 to Cannington turn just beside McCaskill PS
About our garden:
A welcoming place where people come together to grow organic herbs, vegetables, fruit, flowers and friendship. Located in Cannington, Ontario; serving north Durham region including Sunderland, Beaverton, Cannington, and Woodville
Mary Street Community Garden
Location: 1139 Mary St. N, Oshawa, ON
Established: 2011
Number of plots: 35 plus 6 raised plots
Contact: Marystreetcommunitygarden@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/146885938835076/
Directions: We are in North Oshawa Park next to the tennis courts.
About our garden:
We are a small, sociable garden with a wonderful blend of new and established Canadians, novice and experienced, and accessibility-required gardeners. In addition to individual plots, we have several communal plots maintained and nurtured by our gardener volunteers. There are flower beds for pollinators and beds for fruit and vegetables that are shared among our membership. We meet regularly and have joyful potluck socials right at the garden.
St Andrew’s Community Garden
Location: 48 Exeter Road, Ajax ON
Established: 2011
Number of plots: 82
Garden Coordinator: Melissa Beynon
Contact: ajaxcomgarden@gmail.com
Website: www.ajaxcommunitygarden.ca/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/StAndrewsCommunityGardenAjax
Directions: Located behind the St. Andrew's Community Centre on Exeter Road, Ajax
About our garden:
Located in St. Andrew’s Park, in the heart of Ajax, is an oasis of vegetables and flowers. A community garden must be more than just a bunch of plots for growing food. Community comes from cooperation and mutual support, through volunteered time. Seventy-one plots are tended by local plot-holders, with two plots designated exclusively for food bank donations. A few raised beds are available to gardeners experiencing physical limitations. The Town of Ajax solidly supports this project, and is hoping to create others in the community.
St Johns Anglican Church Community Garden
Location: 150 Victoria St. East
Established: 2015
Number of plots: 24
Garden Coordinator: Carri Edwards
Contact: carri_edwards1@sympatico.ca
Website: www.stjohnswhitby.ca
Directions: South of the 401, on Brock St. South, turn left at Victoria St. East to Church parking lot, turn left into parking lot.
About our garden:
2017 marked our third year as an organic, Community Garden. We have thirty-one individual plots, with shared herb garden and flower beds. We donate a portion of what we grow to local foodbanks.
We have been working to make our Garden a growing, sharing place, practical and beautiful.
Salvation Army Garden
Location: 570 Thornton Rd., Oshawa, ON
Established: 2002
Number of plots: 19
Garden Coordinator: Leigh Rowney
Contact: leigh.rowney@salvationarmy.ca
Website: http://www.saoshawa.ca/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/saoshawa
Twitter: @saoshawa
Directions: Located at the Salvation Army Temple on the east side Thornton Road just south of Rossland Road.
About our garden:
The Salvation Army’s Community Garden currently has 19 plots. Each Garden Plot is 5 x 15. All Garden soil, seeds and plants are provided to get you started. Access to Garden is Combination Lock Entry. Garden tools are provided on site. We are currently looking for anyone interested in acquiring a plot within our Garden community.
If you have any questions or you would like to visit the Garden please feel free to contact me directly.
Community Garden Coordinator:
Leigh Rowney
The Garden of Eatin’
Location: 12251 Regional Road#1, Leaskdale, ON
Established:
Number of plots: 2 plots of approximately 200 sq. feet each
Garden Coordinator: Ann Watson
Contact:
Website: www.northhouse.ca
Facebook:
Directions: The Garden of Eatin’ is located on the 4th concession, in front of St Paul’s Leaskdale Church.
Valley Plentiful
Location: Diana Princess of Wales Park
Established: 2008
Number of plots: 107
Garden Coordinator: Susan Bullock
Contact: valleyplentiful@gmail.com
Directions: Behind the Pickering Recreation Complex at Kingston Road & Valley Farm Road
About our garden:
We started in 2008 with only 8 gardeners and have now grown to 100 member beds and 7 food bank beds.
This garden has received interest from other regions and has been awarded a City of Pickering Civic Award for our contributions to sustainability. The dedicated volunteering of all of the members of the garden is what has allowed this garden to continue to flourish.
Whitby Ajax Garden Project
Location: Whitby Ajax Border
Established: 2001
Number of plots: 53 Member Plots & 63 Plots for donations to food banks/agencies
Garden Coordinator: Victoria Templer
Contact: grow@plantingthefuture.ca
Website: www.plantingthefuture.ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WhitbyAjaxGardenProject
Directions: Located on the east side of Lakeridge road , just south of Hwy 7
About our garden:
The Whitby Ajax Garden Project is a volunteer driven urban agriculture project located on 5 acres in the greenbelt within the Region of Durham. Its vision is planting today for the future.
Its mission is to establish and maintain urban agriculture projects, including community gardens, to promote health and healing through urban agriculture and the natural environment, and to undertake these projects according to the Christian principles of creation care and for the benefit of all. It incorporates community garden, communal garden (food banks) and creek side restoration project.
The Whitby Ajax Garden Project (WAGP) is in its fifteenth year of producing fresh vegetables for local food banks and people in need. The Whitby Ajax Garden Project has grown and donated approximately 25,000 pounds of fresh produce over the last three years reaching 14,000 people annually; it is distributed on a regular basis throughout the growing season to approx.10 agencies and food banks in Durham Region.
In 2004, the garden began to provide plots for those who to grow and learn to grow their own food but did not have access to land or appropriate growing conditions. The plots in both growing sections now number approx.116; 53 designated for members and 63 to food banks/ agencies. Further expansion is being planned for 2015 /2016.
Further expansion in 2010 resulted in completion of a creek side restoration project, with educational paths and added a large herb garden.
The garden helped initiate the establishment of Durham Integrated Growers; provided leadership for Durham Food Charter development; is a voting member of the Durham Food Policy Council; and consults on development of other urban agricultural projects within Durham Region through DIG.
Victory Gardens
Location: 200 Winchester Rd
Established: 2009
Number of plots: 30
Garden Coordinator: Joan Kerr
Contact: joankerr@fbsc.org
About our garden:
Windfields Community Garden is a project sponsored by the Foundation for Building Sustainable Communities (fbsc.org) a not for profit organization with a mission to cultivate sustainable sensibilities and a mandate to preserve and repair the environment.