'It's phenomenal': 2nd year for garden at old gas station site a success

The site of a former gas station may seem an unlikely place for a vegetable garden, but for two summers now a group of people in Saskatoon have been making a go of it.

"I thought it was a very unique, very creative way to grow food," said Kristen Severight-Dumais, who joined the effort during its first season in 2015.

They're located on what was a vacant lot, after the gas station was removed, in the 20th Street W. neighbourhood.

Everything is grown in donated barrels that are safe for food.

"We basically have 323 on-site that we have cut either sideways or lengthwise, depending on the root depth that our plants needed," she explained.

She noted that, because the plants are in plastic containers which retain heat, keeping the garden properly watered plays a major role in having a successful growing season.

"We have some extra water tanks this summer, so that helps us out," she said. The containers even have fun names: Frank the tank; Hank the tank; and Paul Anka the "tanka", named for the famous singer.

A fourth tank is awaiting its christening. A suggestion might be Carol the barrel.

"Grow where you've never grown before," is one of the slogans associated with the garden, Severight-Dumais said. "It ties into what we're doing."

The gardeners have also been incorporating Indigenous teachings in their tending to the plants. Severight-Dumais said  that has significant meaning to herself and her own Indigenous background.

"[Gardening] is an expression of life itself," she noted. "We start off as seeds ... and grow to our highest potential."

The garden is called the Askiy Project, using a word that means "earth", and has drawn together people of diverse backgrounds with a range of talent. It is an Urban Agriculture initiative, spearheaded by CHEP Good Food.

"There's such a harmony with what we say and what we do when we work together," Severight-Dumais said. "We really thrive when we brainstorm and work together."

She added that when she looks at the garden, she feels a sense of pride and serenity.

"There's a calming, peaceful therapeutic effect when you're in a garden," she said. "This summer we really just get to reap what we have sown. It's phenomenal."

There is also an educational component of what they are doing, to show that it is possible to successfully grow food in places one would not expect.

"It really feels good to be ... role models for youth," she added. "Doing positive things in the core neighbourhood."