The Badlands Community Gardens Society will be busy this summer as they tackle the Heritage Garden with renewed vigour.
Last year the society began the ambitious project of building the Heritage Garden on the site of what is known as PetroCanada Park in downtown Drumheller. They received a federal New Horizons for Seniors grant, which allowed them to have the garden designed and set them on their way to begin construction. The site was a flurry of activity as they laid the groundwork.
This year the group received a Community Initiatives Program grant from the Alberta Government for about $31,000 to complete the project. This will allow the society to buy needed supplies as well as employ up to three part-time labourers to get the job done.
“We are really excited,” said Chris Marion of the Badlands Community Gardens Society.
The goals of the Heritage Garden are to make the site a usable space for residents and visitors alike. It will also offer the opportunity for education. The garden will showcase native species of plants representing different ecosystems and environmentally friendly practices such as xeriscaping.
The garden will be interactive, employing interpretive signage linked up with QR Code technology to allow users of the garden immediate and direct links to more information on the plants as well as where they can be sourced.
Marion said they have received great support from the community by way of encouragement, donations and labour. She said last summer there were times when residents saw activity on the site, and returned with spades and set to work.
She hopes to set to work on the gardens as soon as the weather allows them to get on site.
They have a number of other endeavours this summer. The Community Garden on Newcastle Drive will once again be going strong, and they plan to continue to build upon the successes the have achieved.
Last year they took on a Community-Supported Agriculture project and were successful in raising organic vegetable crops for shareholders. They found however, this might have spread the organization thin, and with some key volunteers not able to dedicate as much time this year, they are narrowing their focus to completing the Heritage Garden.
The society has selected a date for its annual garden tour. Last summer the tour headed east, this year they are looking west. The tour will feature gardens in central Drumheller as well as west to Nacmine and will be held Saturday, July 28. It is hosted by the Heartwood Inn and Spa.
More information on the Badlands Community Gardens Society can be found at www.badlandsgardens.ca. Watch this website during the growing season for dates and times of events and work bees.