Ignatius having a field day, spring seedling sale

GUELPH/ERAMOSA – Things are getting a little frantic at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre (IJC) as the Spring Field Day and Seedling Sale is fast approaching.

Staff have been marking the sites of community garden plots – all 220 of them – as well as setting up water lines and keeping seedlings alive in the greenhouse for the sale.

“It’s a blitz for us,” said Heather Lekx, farm land manager at the centre.

It’s pretty quiet at Ignatius over the winter but as the trees come into leaf and flowers poke their heads out of the soil, staff and volunteers know busy season is upon them.

There are 600 acres of property at the centre, just north of Guelph on Highway 6, and much of that is dedicated to farming and farmer education, old growth forests and orchards, and kilometre after kilometre of walking trails, as well as a spiritual retreat area.

Those who love to garden know the IJC rents garden plots for the summer and on May 16, from 9am to 12:30pm, the community garden officially opens.

On that day there will be orientation for those who have rented a plot, and gardeners are able to start planting.

The seedling sale is open to the general public. Many of the plants are grown from seed in the greenhouse and local vendors also make the trek to the IJC to sell their wares.

“It’s an important fundraiser for us and a really fun day for the gardeners. It’s a day to get their gardens, get their plants and get planting,” Lekx said.

IJC communication and community manager Kel Smith has been working on assigning people to their plots.

“I feel like a matchmaker,” she joked. “It’s always fun to see how it gets plotted out.”

Plots are available in different sizes, from 100 to 1,000 square feet, and they rent from $73 to $1,000 for the season.

While community gardens are popping up everywhere, the IJC is unique for a few reasons.

The farm is organic, meaning those who rent garden plots cannot use pesticides or herbicides. Whatever is planted must be organic too.

And staff take care of the soil. Half of the community garden is planted with a cover crop which is later tilled into the soil, and the other half is rented out. The following year it switches, so all the soil is fertile.

Gardeners can also purchase certified organic compost to further amend their garden plot. And straw is available to help keep weeds down.

At the end of the season in September, there’s usually a “show and share” where gardeners can connect and share their successes with each other.

Most of the renters are from Guelph but there are some coming from Cambridge and Brampton this season, Smith said.

“We’re creating the conditions for a good harvest and the barrier for entry is really low,” she added.

Lekx said she grew up in the downtown of cities, but her family almost always had a garden plot out of town, which she called her “oasis.”

So she knows that people don’t always have their own space or enough space to grow everything they want.

“I love that we have this bit of space to share with the community,” she said. 

“People can try out gardening in a big way. It’s an exciting time of year.”