Benefits of a Community Garden

When you have a green thumb, there’s nothing as satisfying as growing your own fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables in a home garden. Gardening can be difficult if you live in an apartment or townhome because there really is no space to do it. Luckily, Boardwalk has figured out how to make this happen at one of our communities.

Since May 2018, Heritage Townhome’s community garden has flourished into a popular social hub. Each spring, Boardwalk asks Residents if they would like to participate. There’s no fee, and each participant is assigned a plot on a first-come, first-serve basis.

One of the community gardeners, Paul, finds tending to a plot of fruit and vegetables a good reason to get outside, but also a way to meet new people and form cross-cultural connections:

 “It's been such a great way to get total strangers to meet up, chat and enjoy a bit of time outside. One Resident speaks very little English, but goes to the garden every day to weed and to spend time with his youngest grandson. While he doesn’t communicate with anyone beyond smiles and gestures, he’s happy to have this space to relax just outside his front door”.

Since starting the garden, Residents feel much more invested in their home and have a stronger sense of ownership and community spirit. What was once an empty plot of grass now provides Boardwalk Residents a lot of happiness. Even better, the garden helps protect the community from crime as there’s always people outside tending to their plots.

“Thank you to everyone for making the garden happen! It's a great addition to the sense of community that's being built at Heritage Townhomes. It truly sets the townhome and rental communities apart from others in the city. The land sat idle for so long and is now being used for something fruitful and positive in every way imaginable.”, says Paul.

Boardwalk also has community gardens at:

Tamarack East and West 

Heritage Square

Maple Ridge on the Parc 

Radisson Village 

If there's no community garden in your area, check out the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). The organization helps promote community gardening throughout Canada and the United States and has a list of community gardens across the country. You can search for community gardens near your apartment or townhomes using your address.