True to the One Planet Living ® principle of producing Local and Sustainable Food, Zibi has been laying the groundwork for its community gardening program this summer. With four community gardens already in place, and more than 25 residents participating in the program, Zibi is starting to see the fruits of its labour come to life!

Pictured above,  Aalto II Community Garden

 “We had been slowly introducing gardens throughout the community at each building, but this year they have doubled,” said Brittany Poisson, Zibi’s One Planet Ambassador. “We now have four gardens with raised beds on land and on terraces, with a variety of vegetables, flowers and herbs flourishing. We look forward to opening a fifth one next season at our newest building, Common at Zibi  in Ottawa.”

This year, the gardeners chose to cultivate veggies, and some fruit that can do well in our seasonal planting zone, like cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, onions, beets, all kinds of tomatoes, beans, and lettuce.

Certain flowers were added to deter pests, like Marigolds, and others that attract pollinators, like Cosmos. The gardeners have also done some research on companion planting to pair things in the garden boxes that benefit each other, like basil and tomatoes.

While the program is still in its infancy, the team can already see the excellent community-building potential of community gardens, and their important role in creating local and sustainable food sources within the waterfront community.

“The current crop of gardeners ranges from green thumbs with years of experience to newbies, who are benefiting from that experience,” said Poisson.

“Our OPL goals are quite ambitious, but we are absolutely dedicated to meeting them,” continued Poisson. “It’s been great to work with the residents of Zibi who share this passion and to give urban dwellers the opportunity to experience the joy of gardening.”

To find out how you too can live at Zibi, and join one of our garden committees, register at https://zibi.ca/.