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Victory Gardens

Victory gardens were grown on the home fronts in WWII to help eliminate food shortages, boost morale, & save money. All you need is a patch of dirt or container, rake/trowel, & seeds!

Join us by growing your own!

This project is partially funded by Stepping Stones, a program of Calgary Foundation and Connect First Credit Union

Why a Victory Garden

2020 will be remembered as a year of great challenges. From our parents to our great-grandparents, WW II was their monumental challenge. “Victory” vegetable gardens were grown on the home front to combat hunger, fuel shortages, and scant resources. A bounty of good health and balm for the soul during those trying years, renewed interest in gardening could do the same for us, too.

In that spirit, the Legacy Community Association is encouraging every household in the district to grow a vegetable garden this year and join our Victory Gardening Project. Large or small – in yards, on balconies, or in community gardens — we can transform our little patches of dirt into something both practical and wonderful.

For newcomers and experienced gardeners alike, we have created a website that will link to step-by-step gardening articles and videos right here. Featured articles will explain how to prepare traditional flat-row beds or square-foot raised gardens, containers, soil amendments, choose seeds & fruit bushes suitable for Alberta, tend plants, as well as harvest and preserve produce. As the season progresses, you can check the website to find links to timely horticultural advice.

Gardening nourishes the body, calms the soul, and saves on household costs. The simple act of nurturing tiny seeds into something edible by summer’s end gives us something lovely to look forward to. As Audrey Hepburn once said, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Please join us in growing your own Victory Garden!

Learn Something New

As many of us will be staying close to home this summer, gardening is a skill we can all consider exploring!

Build Community

Victory gardening is a wonderful way for our community to engage in a common goal and share our horticultural successes.

Step-by-Step Guidance

Offering advice on our interactive website, we'll support your gardening project every step of the way.

How do I create a victory garden?

Growing a Victory Garden has three phases:

Phase one is the preparation and planting of your garden in the spring. (Prepare your Garden)

Phase two involves tending and helping your garden thrive over the summer. (Tend your Garden)

Phase three concludes with fall harvesting — as well as clean up to prepare your garden for next spring. (Harvest your Garden)

We’ve created a “how-to” guide with information, resources, and videos for each step along the way. Be sure to follow our Community newsletter sent monthly to your mailbox.

Prepare your Garden, Containers, and Seeds

April, May, June

COMPOSTING – A word of Advice: As root vegetables tend to prefer a poorer rather than rich soil, it is recommended that no more than 1 inch of new compost be mixed into your garden or planter soil each spring. 

Soil Building Soil for Raised Beds – Joe Gardener (Don’t use peat – an irreplaceable resource)

Improving Clay Soil

Bury Kitchen Scraps Directly in Garden – Daisy Creek Farms

TIP: Most gardening centres are also happy to answer your gardening questions!

› National Gardening Association (U.S.) https://garden.org/forums/

and

› Helpful Gardener – Vegetable Gardening Forum
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=56

*Each option has delivery available for contactless gardening. Contact them for more details.

› Beaver Dam Nurseries (near Okotoks, west side of highway 2) https://beaverdamnursery.com/

› Country Living & Garden Centre (south side of Okotoks) https://www.facebook.com/countrylivingandgardencenter/

› Countryside Landscapes and Gardening (De Winton)
https://www.csgcl.com/

› Greengate Garden Centres (Macleod Trail) https://greengate.ca/

› The Saskatoon Farm (near Okotoks on east side of highway) https://www.saskatoonfarm.com/

› Spruce It Up (Macleod Trail) https://calgarysgardencentre.com/

Tend Your Garden

Summer

TIP: Most gardening centres are also happy to answer your gardening questions!

› National Gardening Association (U.S.) https://garden.org/forums/

and

› Helpful Gardener – Vegetable Gardening Forum
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=56

*Each option has delivery available for contactless gardening. Contact them for more details.

› Beaver Dam Nurseries (near Okotoks, west side of highway 2) https://beaverdamnursery.com/

› Country Living & Garden Centre (south side of Okotoks) https://www.facebook.com/countrylivingandgardencenter/

› Countryside Landscapes and Gardening (De Winton)
https://www.csgcl.com/

› Greengate Garden Centres (Macleod Trail) https://greengate.ca/

› The Saskatoon Farm (near Okotoks on east side of highway) https://www.saskatoonfarm.com/

› Spruce It Up (Macleod Trail) https://calgarysgardencentre.com/

Harvest, Canning, and Cleanup

Fall

TIP: Most gardening centres are also happy to answer your gardening questions!

› National Gardening Association (U.S.) https://garden.org/forums/

and

› Helpful Gardener – Vegetable Gardening Forum
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=56

*Each option has delivery available for contactless gardening. Contact them for more details.

› Beaver Dam Nurseries (near Okotoks, west side of highway 2) https://beaverdamnursery.com/

› Country Living & Garden Centre (south side of Okotoks) https://www.facebook.com/countrylivingandgardencenter/

› Countryside Landscapes and Gardening (De Winton)
https://www.csgcl.com/

› Greengate Garden Centres (Macleod Trail) https://greengate.ca/

› The Saskatoon Farm (near Okotoks on east side of highway) https://www.saskatoonfarm.com/

› Spruce It Up (Macleod Trail) https://calgarysgardencentre.com/