April at the Broadway and Victoria garden

Hello fellow gardeners,

It’s undeniable, gardening season has officially arrived at the Broadway & Victoria garden!  With cherry blossoms opening up across the city and bees buzzing around the garden, we couldn't be more excited to get this growing season started. I’ve already seen some gardeners growing rows of fantastic looking spinach and of course, the garlic is really taking off.

COVID-19 & COMMUNITY GARDENING

Along with the arrival of spring and all it’s excitement, we need to touch on the elephant in the room, COVID-19.  As you all probably know by now and are experiencing in your day to day, things are quite different in the city. With city-wide closures of all sorts of businesses, and people self isolating,  2020’s spring is looking drastically and socially different. We acknowledge the garden is a shared space and with that we have to be responsible for keeping each other safe and healthy.  

As of today we are implementing additional garden rules to keep all gardeners growing in a safe and shared environment.

You will also find these Community Garden Guidelines and Best Practises on our website.

Please also visit the BC Centre for Disease Control for more information and also the BC Government website for the latest news.

The most important thing to do and remember right now is

  • Stay home if you’re are sick or feeling unwell

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth and face

  • Cough and sneeze into the crook of you arm or sleeve, not into your hands

  • Wash your hands with soap and water or using minimum 60% alcohol hand sanitizer 

  • Keep a minimum distance of 2 meters between you and other gardeners

We are removing all shared garden tools from the garden shed and we recommend bringing and taking home your own tools.

We appreciate your patience and all the care you’re going to take to keep yourself and other gardeners safe so we all can continue to grow fresh vegetables.

Here are some other important updates:

APRIL MEET-AND-GREET

Due to the current restrictions on gatherings and the necessity for social/physical distancing, we have decided to postpone our spring garden opening.  This means, if you were planning to register and pay for your beds at the Meet & Greet, you now have the option to:

  • Send us a cheque or cash In the mail (Make sure to note your bed number and garden)

    • Community Garden Builders #210 - 128 W. Hastings St. Vancouver BC, V6B1G8

Look out for future updates on the Meet & Greet event as we will let you know when/if it is happening. 

2020 GARDEN REGISTRATION & NEW GARDEN APP

As you all probably have seen, we have just launched our new garden app where you can register and pay for your beds.  If this is something you have not done yet, please register by the end of April.  We are requiring you to only sign up for your existing beds right now.  Attached to this mail out is a registration allocation and garden map.

Here is how to sign up using the new app:

You can create an account and sign up to your garden bed here: www.communitygardenapp.com  

You will need your current Garden Bed # to register.

Follow these easy steps to register your garden beds:

  1. Create a Gardener account

  2. Select “Garden Bed Sign Up” button

    • Find Garden

    • Select your garden beds *see attached Garden Bed Allocation list

    • Click the “Sign Up” button (at bottom)

    • Complete garden bed sign up

As always, the garden beds you were allocated in 2019 are yours for 2020!

WATERING SYSTEM

We will be installing the hoses and activating the watering system in the beginning of April.  You can control the water by the ON/OFF lever, which you'll find on the lower portion of the garden shed in the middle of the garden.

Please remember to turn the water OFF before you leave, this helps with the longevity of the equipment.

As a communal tool, we all need to exercise extreme care and caution when making use of the hoses.

·  Bring sanitizing wipes and wipe down the On/Off switch and nozzle BEFORE AND AFTER USE

·  Wear gloves when using the watering system

·  If possible, use a hand tool to turn the On/Off switch

·  Consider reducing your use of the hoses –– let the rain do the work for you

Also, keep your eyes open for any leaks or if the nozzle is broken.  Let me know ASAP as we will fix this.  

COMPOST DELIVERY

This spring we'll be supplying organic compost to boost your garden beds with nutrients for the growing season. Expect a big pile to arrive in the garden in the beginning of April.

Happy Growing and stay safe out there!!