StettlerLocal.com April 17, 2024 at 8:35 pm
There's an exciting new feature in Stettler's Community Gardens.
This year, raised garden beds will be added to the Central Gardens.
"In our efforts to control weeds, we have purchased 10 raised beds made from recycled plastic," says Grace Fix of the Heartland Beautification Committee. "Raised beds can be cared for by standing at the sides rather than stooping."
The raised beds were made by Pnewko out of Lacombe, owned by former Stettler residents Travis and Chris Overacker.
There are three community gardens in Stettler. The Central Gardens, located south of the schools, opened in 2010. The North East Gardens, east of the Vet Clinic, opened in 2013, and the South Gardens, along Highway 56 South, opened in 2015.
A variety of plot sizes are available:
4’ x 8’ raised bed: $5 per season
10’ x 10’ plot: $ 5 per season
10’ x 22’ plot: $10 per season
22’ x 22’ plot: $20 per season
"Many people plant potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and greens," says Fix, "but all kinds of vegetables are grown. Sunflowers are a popular addition."
She says each location has tool storage, including a new shed at the South Gardens, made by High School Building Construction students.
"Every May, we involve students from about three classes who help spread the mulch that is laid each year between the plots," she says.
The first community garden was established by Robert Spencer, chair of the Heartland Beautification Committee and a Commercial Horticulturalist with Alberta Agriculture & Forestry.
"He had the vision to create affordable spaces for residents to garden who might not otherwise be able to," says Fix. "He worked tirelessly to make the three gardens happen."
The community gardens are currently overseen by the Heartland Beautification Committee and the Town of Stettler Parks & Leisure Department.
Residents can register for a garden plot on a first-come, first-served basis until the end of April, at the Stettler Rec Centre office.
