Community Gardens

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Community Gardens

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What is a Community Garden?

Community gardens on municipal land are places where City of Vaughan residents and employees of Vaughan-based businesses can meet to grow and care for fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, native, and ornamental plants. The City of Vaughan currently supports three community garden projects on City-owned land.

Sugarbush Heritage Park Community Garden. Located at 91 Thornhill Woods Drive, Sugarbush Heritage Park Community Garden was established in 2010. There are approximately 20 garden plots 8' x 10' in size. Harvest includes flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

Growing to Give Community Garden. Located at 835 Clark Avenue (Fire Hall #7-1), the Growing to Give Community Garden was established in 2011. There are approximately 17 8' x 10' garden plots managed collectively. Harvest includes flowers, fruits, and vegetables. In 2018, the harvest produced nearly 1,200 pounds of organic vegetables and herbs.

Michael Cranny House Community Garden. Located at 439 Glenkindie Avenue, Michael Cranny House Community Garden was established in 2012. There are approximately 12 8' x 10' garden plots managed collectively. Harvest includes flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

City Hall Community Garden. Located at Vaughan City Hall (2141 Major Mackenzie Drive), phase 2 of the City Hall Demonstration Garden has been completed. There are 6 raised garden plots, approximately 3' x 8'. Right now we're looking for community support to help collect the materials and supplies we need to complete the vision. If you are interested in contributing, please contact environment@vaughan.ca.

NEW Community Garden coming soon

The City is working on another community garden located at Vellore Heritage Square. The garden will feature collectively managed plots, raised beds that are wheelchair accessible, pollinator friendly habitats and lots more! Concept designs are coming soon.

If you are interested in joining one of these community gardens, read our Policy below and contact environment@vaughan.ca for more information. We are also looking for dedicated individuals who want to become a Garden Coordinator. The Garden Coordinator acts as a contact between the gardeners and the City; maintaining an updated list of gardeners, submitting a description of the garden layout and community engagement plans, on-going bed maintenance including planting and harvesting and ensuring the gardeners are following the rules outlined in the Agreement.

Do you want to join a community garden?

The City is looking for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to help build, plant, grow and harvest, especially at the City Hall and Vellore Heritage Square gardens. There are also opportunities available to become a Garden Coordinator. Our Garden Coordinators help manage volunteers, prepare garden plans and maintain regular contact with the City of Vaughan.

Interested in starting or joining a community garden? Here are two quick steps to help you get started:

Step 1

Read the City of Vaughan's Community Garden Policy to become familiar with our community garden program.

Step 2

Contact environment@vaughan.ca or call 905-832-2281 ext. 8941 to express interest and to receive guidance, tips, tools and more info.

Plant materials donated by:

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a community garden just a garden the community looks after?

It’s a community space on City land where registered volunteers work together to grow, maintain and harvest.

Does the city provide support to get started?

The City helps with site preparation, maintenance of surrounding area and provides the tools and materials necessary for operation of the garden.

What are the popular types of community gardens?

There are two popular types: shared work gardens and allotment gardens. Shared work: participants garden collectively, share and even donate some harvest to charitable community causes. Allotment gardens: participants rent and garden individual plots for the season, harvesting their own produce. The City of Vaughan supports 1 allotment garden (Sugarbush) and 3 shared work gardens.

Can my street start our own community garden? Or are the sites you mentioned the only ones?

We are always looking for new garden sites. Send your site suggestions to environment@vaughan.ca

Can I take up my front lawn to create a community garden?

Currently, there is no by-law that restricts community gardens on private property. However, there are restrictions when it comes to: charging fees to garden users, as this would be considered running a business in a residential area and this is prohibited under the Zoning By-law; percentage of hard and soft landscaping for all residential properties as per Vaughan By-law 1-88; and issues that may arise with parking as there is a three hour maximum limit for street parking between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. If you are interested in installing a community garden on your front lawn, email environment@vaughan.ca to work with the Environmental Sustainability office to ensure no by-laws are violated and that the garden does not impact upon or interfere with City infrastructure.

How big do these community gardens span? How are locations chosen?

Sizes of community gardens vary. Sites are chosen close to community hubs such as parks and community centres, and in locations where there is volunteer interest.

Why are community gardens so important?

Vaughan’s community gardens promote the cultivation of local and affordable food within the community. Producing local food reduces greenhouse gas emissions from food transportation. Vaughan’s community gardens help green our community creating healthy habitats for wildlife, bees and other beneficial plants and insects.

Can I sell my products after I grow them?