AIRDRIE - As seeds sprout and roots take hold, an almost magical process begins to occur as flowers, fruits, and vegetables begin to make their ascension above the soil.
Residents will have another opportunity to enjoy that ascension and show off their green thumbs as the City of Airdrie officially opens its newest community garden in Lanark.
Airdrie’s Parks Development Technician, Kendall Bampton, said the City has already begun to see positive feedback from community members after working closely with developer Melcor to set up the new garden space. She added the garden has a number of available plots and is styled in a different manner than the city's other community garden located in Monklands.
“Right now we’re just really excited to have people interested in it," she confirmed. "There’s already about four or five plots that people have started planting out there. These ones are raised galvanized steel planter styles. There’s 58 round galvanized steels and 14 rectangular plots.”
Recognizing the need for a community garden in the space, Bampton said Melcor took on the project in an attempt to create a unique area that stood out to the public.
New management will eventually take over the new Lanark garden, but Brampton confirmed they are unsure who that will be. She noted that the city will help take care of certain amenities such as end of the season compost.
“We’re hoping whoever does take this on that they are able to run with it, and that they maintain it themselves with any additional support that the city can give,” she said. “We do kind of hope it will be its own self-sustained run by whichever management strategy that we come up with.”
As feedback continues to be collected from residents, the City will make a decision on how to move forward with applications. Brampton said the City will look to post more information in the new year once they have worked out a process.
“We’re still waiting to hear back and have some discussions," Bampton stated. "So that will definitely take place this fall and this winter. We’ll have a management strategy in place for next spring so that the gardeners can get in there and use it.”
Prospective gardeners will have up until March 2024 to submit their applications for a new garden plot.
