Amateur seed saving at its best. McClure gardeners, program participants and gardeners from the wider community save seeds and share them with the public for free at the November 6th Seed Sharing event. Our signature seed this year is hardneck garlic. We grew 16 rare varieties to test what will grow in our climate and to make seedstock available to Calgarians. These wonderful garlics will be planted this Fall at Fort Calgary, Heritage Park, the SAIT culinary garden, Community Natural Foods, The Calgary Horicultural Society's Blue House demonstration garden, the Village Square Leisure Centre and at McClure. Stop on by any of these locations to check out how garlic grows.
If you would like some garlic to plant, contact us at mccluregarden@gmail.com
Grow with Us
A free, weekly family learning program conducted in partnership with Hand in Hand Parent Link. Children aged 2-6 and their caregivers get hands-on experience growing their own food. This drop-in program meets every Tuesday at 11:00am at the Parent Link office at the Village Square Leisure Centre. Contact Shelina at Parent Link for more information (403) 293-5467.
Forever Foods
Growing perennial food crops to create a local, sustainable food source. This year and next we will be expanding our public orchard and community beds. Perennial herbs, vegetables, fruit bushes and trees are all being added for the public to enjoy.
Black Gold Factories
Exploring different composting techniques:
- good old fashioned bin composting system
- African key-hole garden inspiration for integrating composting with raised bed growing. Great for composting weeds
- in-the-ground composting including trench composting and cover cropping
- bokashi and other herbal, mineral, microbial and assorted additives and accelerants
Peas on Earth
Grow some sweet peas and take time to stop and smell the flowers and unwind. The more peace we can generate within ourselves, the more peace there will be in the world. Free sweet pea seeds will be available at our November 6th Seed Sharing event. Come and take home some seeds to plant this Fall and help us grow a row of sweet peas to circle the earth. We grew a 40 foot row this summer but we need a few million more feet to complete the row. Email us with the length of the row you're growing and we'll tack it on - mccluregarden@gmail.com
Green Cats
Our furry friends can now reduce their carbon pawprints by purchasing organic catnip grown right here in Calgary. The McClure garden, The Garden Path Society, Fort Calgary, The Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre (The D.I.), and the MEOW Foundation volunteers are working together to grow catnip sustainably. The catnip goes to the MEOW Foundation which uses it to mellow the kitties at their shelter while they're awaiting permanent homes and for fundraising. MEOW is a no-kill charity that rescues cats and finds loving homes for them. www.meowfoundation.com
Metro Grow-Ops
Collaborations with other growing operations in the city. This years projects include:
- Lending tools and exertise to Child and Youth Friendly Calgary's Global Youth Services Day project. The youth constructed and planted a food garden at Raido House - a halfway house for teens.
- Working with the The D.I. on a recreational therapy food garden at the East Village community garden. Clients at The D.I. planted catnip for the MEOW Foundation and grew herbs and vegetables for their kitchen. They worked to clear the weeds outside the garden and put in a community patch of vegetables and flowers for the everyone to enjoy. At the request of one of their participants, the D.I. also grew what may be Calgary's only sweet potato plant. It grew and is producing.
Plot Raising
We are raising the height of our raised beds by 15" to make it easier for people to garden in them by reducing the need to bend. Fourteen beds were raised this spring and they are now 2 1/2 feet high. Additional beds will be raised as soon as funds and volunteer commitment can be secured.
A free, weekly family learning program conducted in partnership with Hand in Hand Parent Link. Children aged 2-6 and their caregivers get hands-on experience growing their own food. This drop-in program meets every Tuesday at 11:00am at the Parent Link office at the Village Square Leisure Centre. Contact Shelina at Parent Link for more information (403) 293-5467.
Forever Foods
Growing perennial food crops to create a local, sustainable food source. This year and next we will be expanding our public orchard and community beds. Perennial herbs, vegetables, fruit bushes and trees are all being added for the public to enjoy.
Black Gold Factories
Exploring different composting techniques:
- good old fashioned bin composting system
- African key-hole garden inspiration for integrating composting with raised bed growing. Great for composting weeds
- in-the-ground composting including trench composting and cover cropping
- bokashi and other herbal, mineral, microbial and assorted additives and accelerants
Peas on Earth
Grow some sweet peas and take time to stop and smell the flowers and unwind. The more peace we can generate within ourselves, the more peace there will be in the world. Free sweet pea seeds will be available at our November 6th Seed Sharing event. Come and take home some seeds to plant this Fall and help us grow a row of sweet peas to circle the earth. We grew a 40 foot row this summer but we need a few million more feet to complete the row. Email us with the length of the row you're growing and we'll tack it on - mccluregarden@gmail.com
Green Cats
Our furry friends can now reduce their carbon pawprints by purchasing organic catnip grown right here in Calgary. The McClure garden, The Garden Path Society, Fort Calgary, The Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre (The D.I.), and the MEOW Foundation volunteers are working together to grow catnip sustainably. The catnip goes to the MEOW Foundation which uses it to mellow the kitties at their shelter while they're awaiting permanent homes and for fundraising. MEOW is a no-kill charity that rescues cats and finds loving homes for them. www.meowfoundation.com
Metro Grow-Ops
Collaborations with other growing operations in the city. This years projects include:
- Lending tools and exertise to Child and Youth Friendly Calgary's Global Youth Services Day project. The youth constructed and planted a food garden at Raido House - a halfway house for teens.
- Working with the The D.I. on a recreational therapy food garden at the East Village community garden. Clients at The D.I. planted catnip for the MEOW Foundation and grew herbs and vegetables for their kitchen. They worked to clear the weeds outside the garden and put in a community patch of vegetables and flowers for the everyone to enjoy. At the request of one of their participants, the D.I. also grew what may be Calgary's only sweet potato plant. It grew and is producing.
Plot Raising
We are raising the height of our raised beds by 15" to make it easier for people to garden in them by reducing the need to bend. Fourteen beds were raised this spring and they are now 2 1/2 feet high. Additional beds will be raised as soon as funds and volunteer commitment can be secured.
