Levi from Worms at Work shows off some compost.
Don’t let the name put you off. Seedy Saturday isn’t an event rife with the kind of seediness that plagued Calgary’s Cecil Hotel before its closure a few years ago. Rather, the annual event is a celebration of local crops, allowing for communities to come together and swap seeds in order to maintain regional seed varieties and continue the skill and tradition of growing plants from seed.
The event, hosted by the Community Garden Resource Network at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Centre, is family friendly with presentations from gardeners and chefs, dozens of exhibitors, and the ever popular seed swap where gardeners can swap seeds to promote genetic diversity. This year, Calgary’s Seedy Saturday celebrated its 10th year (it was first held at the Montgomery Community Centre in 2005) with approximately 1000 attendees, many of whom walked or cycled to the event to keep it as green as possible.
As a novice gardener – one who is learning that they have much less of a green thumb at indoor gardening than they thought – I was excited to learn that there was such an exciting pool of resources available for those interested in learning how to grow their own food.
Here are three things you might not know about gardening in Calgary:
Janet Melrose gives everyone the lowdown on how to successfully grow garlic.
1. Calgary’s climate can be beneficial
Some plants can thrive with Calgary’s cool, dry climate in the summer. Some varieties of spinach, tomato, and garlic can really thrive in the city once they become acclimatized.
2. Save your seeds
It’s worthwhile to keep a collection of plants that do well in your garden (or, if you want to swap with friends, you can start collecting their successful seeds as well). Most seeds can be saved for up to a few years!
3. If you can’t grow it yourself, you can still support local food
If you don’t have the space or time to start a garden of your own, you can still get involved in community supported agriculture. Check out Calgary’s local CSAs, inform yourself on supporting sustainable food, or volunteer your time at a community garden.