A sneak peek of Mark Cullen’s new book, The New Canadian Garden

Introducing my new book, The New Canadian Garden.  It is a picture book, an educational approach to the new gardening basics, a reference gardening guide and a glimpse into the future of gardening in Canada. I am very proud of it.  

Who is it written for? Anyone who loves to garden in Canada (all 21 of my books are written for the Canadian gardener) and anyone who loves great photography of Canadian gardens.  

The four sections feature: Food Gardening, The Community Garden, Gardening for Biodiversity, and Kids Gardening.  

It took three years to write (with some assistance from 20-something Marette Sharp) so please tell me that you like it!  

Here is an excerpt from The New Canadian Garden’s Community Garden section:

The idea of a shared communal space where nearby residents with limited green space of their own can come together, work the land, and produce a crop is not a new concept. First established in Europe as early as 1819, the practice of community gardening came over to North America sometime around 1890.

Gardening in public spaces has a rise and fall pattern. When times are good, people are less likely to garden for food; when economic times are difficult, we revert to growing our own. According to Amelia Garrett and Michael Leeds, the Depression of 1893, the First World War (1914-18), the Great Depression (1929-39), and the Second World War (1939-45) saw increases in urban community gardens and allotment plots.

By the end of the Second World War, 20 million “Victory Gardens” were providing 40 percent of the vegetables in America. Today, more than three million community gardens are being worked throughout North America. And while that number may seem significantly smaller than the 20 million during the Second World War, remember that our access to public space has dwindled greatly with urbanization.

Canadians want to garden. Despite the urbanization that has taken over much of Canada’s previously open spaces, urbanites want to grow their own food. Many others want to grow food for those who are unable to afford it for themselves.

Today, North America is home to 42 million food gardens, and that number is increasing depsite the decreasing size of the average yard. It is not uncommon for community gardens and allotment plots to have long waiting lists, attesting to the fact that their popularity is on the rise. Supply simply cannot keep up with demand. In a way, that’s a good thing: we are changing, for the better.

The New Canadian Garden provides the basics for building community and allotment gardens: what they are, how to best use the space, and how to go about acquiring a plot or starting your own. I talk about the numerous benefits brought to individual people and communities through the development of a communal garden plot and give you an inside look at community gardens across Canada.

The future of gardening is here: in our parks, on vacant lots, beside our workplaces and schools, on private and public land. The best part? We’re all gardening together.

Healthy Communities

When we garden in public spaces in the company of others, we open ourselves up for communication and social interaction (might sound scary, but it’s really not). We bring ourselves closer to those who are engaging in a similar activity and it becomes easier to start a discussion, increasing the potential for new friendships.

In community and allotment gardens, the sharing of seeds, tools, and knowledge serve to increase relationships between neighbours. I find it strange that we live so close together these days, yet interact with so few of our neighbours. Many people don’t engage in conversations with strangers in day-to-day life because they don’t know how to begin. Community gardening provides a starting point, a common goal, and a mutual interest.

Excerpted from The New Canadian Garden, $19.99, 2016, Mark Cullen. All rights reserved. Published by Dundurn Press.