NEW! Guide to starting a community garden—for churches and other community groups
(Developed by the Common Ground at Emmanuel Community Garden Team in spring 2023)
In 2016, the congregation of Emmanuel United Church decided they had a dream—to bring a community garden to the church grounds in the east end of Sault Ste. Marie. They wanted to foster the many benefits of gardening, recognizing that it nourishes mind, body, and spirit, and felt a call to be good stewards of the land. And so Common Ground at Emmanuel Community Garden was born.
About Common Ground…
In fall 2017, we built 18 beds, including four accessible beds (double height), and 2018 was our first gardening season. It was a resounding success! In 2019, we added three more beds, including two accessible ones, for a total of 21 beds. And in 2021, we added a pollinator bed, in which is growing a variety of native perennials, which attract native pollinators.
Our gardeners are a diverse group, including residents of Community Living Algoma homes, Girl Guides, those growing food for those in need, young families, and others.
Bed rental
All of our beds are now rented, but if you’d like to get on our waiting list or have questions about Common Ground at Emmanuel, email our garden team at emmgarden@gmail.com.
Information for our gardeners
If you are a Common Ground gardener and need a copy of our handbook, email us at emmgarden@gmail.com. Some other resources (click the blue links to access them):
- Raised bed gardens and small plots
- How to refresh raised bed garden dirt in spring – tips for keeping soil healthy and full of nutrients, which is critical for productive gardening
- Square foot planting guide – how to divide your garden into square feet rather than planting in rows, which is recommended for raised beds
- Vegetable plant chart for central Ontario and Quebec – info on when to plant each type of veggie
- Transplanting and direct seeding – tips for ensuring you don’t shock seedlings started in a nursery or on your windowsill
- Succession planting – ways to ensure you have a steady supply of produce rather than having everything ready for harvest at the same time
- Fertilizing your garden
- Harvesting herbs