It was June 14th, sunny and mild, and I was walking across the grounds at St. Philip's Anglican Church.
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| I like this addition, added this year, if I had the room maybe I'd build one of these circular gardens for herbs |
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| Not the most aesthetic addition but "A" for effort and originality! |
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| A pleasant place to sit and rest |
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| They should leave the grass uncut here, it gives a country feeling and avoids a too perfect feeling to the grounds |
Located at Rosedale Avenue and Somerled Avenue, St. Thomas Anglican Church has a long history in Montreal; the community garden is behind the church. I took these photographs on the last day of November, it was about -3 C and cold, some snow had fallen a few days before and was still on the ground. You can't see what they grow here but it seems to be more vegetables than flowers. The caretaker came out as I was standing looking at the garden, I mentioned that for some reason Covid had been good for gardens, they've flourished last year and this, but he said it was sad that so many people had died. Let's hope this snow melts before our long winter sets in.
Stroll down Pollination Street and take a left at Butterfly Way, you're now at St. Philip's Community Garden, the corner of Brock and Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal West. These people have their heart in the right place, openness, generosity, human kindness. A garden at a church is doubly meaningful, it shows the propensity to want to help, nourish, and feed people, but it is also symbolic, it might even be a reference to the original biblical Garden of Eden.
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| I remember walking by this garden a year ago; I think they began the garden last fall and I thought, at the time, it's a bit late in the season for gardening... But they continued and made the garden larger and better than ever. |
This seems to be some professor's university garden project for their students, not for outsiders, so don't touch those tomatoes or you will find your photo on Instagram!
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| What bad PR for this garden. |
Here is a community garden behind Reno Depot, the garden is on West Broadway, a half block north of St. Jacques. One time I walked by this garden and there was someone sleeping on the grass; one evening I spoke to someone in this area, he was homeless and said that sometimes he sleeps in one of the garden sheds sold by Reno Depot. Garden sheds, cabanon in French, are just little houses; it is possible for people to live in them until something better is found.
I read something about this Indigenous Garden in The Suburban, but the only way I found it was by the photograph attached to the article, and then only with some difficulty. The garden is located behind the psychology building on the Loyola Campus of Concordia University; it's located in the shade of the building. I often walk on the campus and there are many, better, sunnier places where this garden could have been located. Since it was only planted in late summer it should be more substantial next year. What I would like to see here are plants that are native to this area, plants that attract birds and insects in our area. We think of some of these plants as weeds but they are important for whatever urban wildlife we have left. The Audubon Society has a service regarding native plants, it is "Plants for Birds" and this is a great way to attract birds and insects to one's garden at home.
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| Barren now but this is September-October, next summer I expect a real garden here. |
This community garden is just two blocks from where I live, on Rosedale Avenue just above Cote St- Luc Road. This isn't a mini-farm, it's gardeners growing vegetables and flowers for their own use. These are quite large gardens, tools and supplies are stored in a locked shed, compost bins near the gardens. Photos taken in May 2015, but not much has changed since then.
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| All photos taken in October 2021 |
