REGINA – Hobby gardeners have been busy digging holes for seeds and plants as the weather warms up, but many are now taking their work outside their own yards.
Community gardening is growing in popularity.
Long-time community gardener, Rose Beresh, said she remembers when the Glen Elm Community Garden was just a grassy field 16 years ago.
“In 2000, they started breaking up the land and that’s when I started,” she said. “I like the dirt. I like to play in the dirt.”
Beresh and her son have been growing vegetables in a 20 ft. by 40 ft. plot for the past fifteen years. They’ve tried just about everything: “Onions, tomatoes, parsnips, cabbage, potatoes, corn.”
“Potatoes are pretty good. Corn not so much. It didn’t do very well when I planted it last year anyways,” she laughed.
Beresh watches other gardeners come and go, but she returns each and every spring, because her own yard is too small and shady to grow vegetables.
“There’s a lot more room here. The sun is here all day long,” Beresh said.
The Jicklings like community gardening for the same reason, but they also treasure the relationships they build with fellow gardeners.
“It’s fun to meet them here and visit, watch the different techniques. How they plant, how they fertilize, how they grow, what they grow,” said Ron Jickling.
The couple calculated they save quite a bit of money by growing their own produce.
“With our little plot, we had enough carrots and potatoes to last us until February,” said Jeannette Jickling.
Over the last 25 years, Rita Hengen has seen her community garden in the south-east nearly double in size.
“There were quite a few, but nothing compared to what it is now. They’ve expanded that way and that way.”
There are about 10 large-scale community gardens in Regina.
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