COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
GREEN THUMB COMMUNITY GARDEN
The Green Thumb Community Garden is a communal donation garden. All produce will be donated to the Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre Food Bank. The Food Bank has confirmed it receives all types of fresh vegetables from local gardens.
In collaboration with St Helen’s Anglican Church, the Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre and residents in the Queenswood Heights neighbourhood, we have installed two raised garden beds on the land behind St. Helen’s Anglican Church.
Our aspiration is to establish a community garden aimed at fostering a sense of community, promoting sustainable practices, and contributing to food security. This community garden will provide an opportunity for residents to come together, cultivate friendships, and learn about gardening.
We want to build a vibrant, productive, and inclusive space that promotes food security, sustainable practices, and community empowerment. We aim to actively share gardening knowledge and experiences, mentor new members and participate in group learning activities to build collective expertise.
The Community Garden aims to provide a safe, community-building and family-friendly space. It is important for the success of our community garden that all members and their guests understand and follow the rules outlined in the Members Agreement.
August 22, 2025
So far this summer, we harvested over 30 portions of herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, chives, and sage) and 260 portions of radishes, chard, lettuce, snap peas, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes for our food bank.
The garden committee will meet in September to review lessons learned from our first growing season. St Helen’s Anglican Church is planning an event in September on gardening, where we will share our experience about the Green Thumb Community Garden with residents.
If you wish to volunteer in the production of fresh produce for our food bank, or participate in the learning activities, contact Carole Ouellette by email or 613-830-4357 ext. 306.
Thank you to everyone who is contributing to the success of our Green Thumb Community Garden! Many volunteers have assisted by filling the raised beds with soil, sharing their gardening expertise, and caring for the vegetable garden. During the month of July, we harvested radishes, chard, lettuce, herbs and a few cherry tomatoes for our food bank.
The garden committee meets monthly to plan gardening activities. In August, we will be leading a social event with residents at the Queenswood Villa, located next to the community garden. This is an opportunity for residents to come together and share their experiences about gardening.
If you wish to volunteer in the production of fresh produce for our food bank, or participate in the learning activities contact Carole Ouellette by email or 613-830-4357 ext. 306.
Thank you to the Ottawa Horticultural Society (OHS)
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Ottawa Horticultural Society for their generous donation towards the purchase of a garden shed for the Green Thumb Community Garden. This contribution will make it possible for us to safely store tools and supplies, helping us keep the garden space organized and accessible for all who take part.
