THE OSHAWA GARDEN CLUB’S GIVING GARDEN PROJECT

THE OSHAWA GARDEN CLUB’S GIVING GARDEN PROJECT

by Alma-Jane MacLean

May 14, 2024. Mary, Chris and Alison weeding our early spring vegetables: cabbages, spinach and radishes. In the back bed we had peas and lettuce planted
May 31, 2024. Ron, Chris, Alison and Patrick with one of our early spring harvests: radishes, green onions and spinach.

Our garden club helps care for the beautiful gardens on the Parkwood Estate, which helps
support our local hospital. It helps maintain the flower beds at Hearth Place Cancer Support
Centre, a caring agency.

But why does our garden club put time and effort into a Giving
Garden?
Here in Oshawa, there are many adults and children experiencing food insecurity – too many.
We can all see food prices going up in the grocery stores, increasing food insecurity for needy
and low-income people. Our garden club can’t fix the problem of hunger here, but we can
donate healthy fresh vegetables that we have grown without pesticides or herbicides. Our
produce can make a fresh, healthy, and tasty addition to someone’s meals, while learning about
gardening and contributing to directly to our community.

We have a great location for our club’s Giving Garden: the Salvation Army’s Community
Garden, where we rent several beds.

Why do we rent garden beds from the Salvation Army’s Community Garden?
 Their Community Garden is fenced and it has a locked gate: this has reduced theft from
our vegetable beds to almost nothing.
 It has full sun and a water tap within the fenced area: vegetables need full sun and
dependable water.
Our Giving Garden volunteers come twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday mornings) to sow, plant,
weed, and water vegetables. Most weeks we are also harvesting, the fun job! All of our
produce is donated to the Salvation Army Food Bank. How much do our gardens produce?
Last year we raised over 800 lbs of vegetables, all of which we donated to the Salvation Army
Food Bank.

Aug, 8, 2024. The spring veggies are long since harvested and our summer crops are growing fast: butternut and spaghetti squashes and pole beans here.
July 7, 2024. Ron watering our bed with beets, kale and Swiss chard (at the harvesting stage) and tomatoes.
Aug.27, 2024. Anne, Chris with two grandchildren helpers (teach them young!), Margaret, Ron and Mary with possibly our biggest harvest! Cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, bulb onions, Swiss chard, a donated pumpkin (thank you!), beans, zucchini and kale.


Why do we donate our vegetables to the Oshawa Salvation Army Food Bank?
 It is centrally located, where there is need.
 Most importantly, the Salvation Army Food Bank, as with all their other community
services, serves based solely on a person’s need and its capacity to help, regardless of
the individual’s race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or religion.

Sept. 17, 2024. Probably our last big harvest. Anne, Chris, Mary, Ron and Alison with beans, beets, cherry tomatoes, butternut squash, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, kale, Swiss chard, tomatoes and donated tomatillos (thank you!).
Our stalwart volunteers in our post-gardening “office meeting” at a well-known local coffee shop. There was always lots of laughter and getting to know each other.


Why should you join us as a Giving Garden Volunteer aside from doing something that helps so
many others? Because we have fun! We have a great bunch of volunteers. We joke and
laugh while we are gardening. And you do not have to be an expert to join us! Almost none of
us knew about vegetable gardening before volunteering. This offers a great opportunity to learn
about food production in an urban environment for people of all ages and stages of gardening
ability. One of the best things about joining us? Our “office meeting” afterwards, at a well-
known local coffee shop, LOL, where we have more fun getting to know fellow Oshawa Garden
Club Members!