To give some background, the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House (LMNH) Food Hub aims to reduce food insecurity in our community and it runs three programs: the Riley Park Community Garden, the Food Distribution, and the Yard Garden Harvest program. The yard garden program grows food in our neighbour’s front and backyards to support the food distribution program, which provides food for food insecure neighbours.

An ongoing challenge for our Yard Garden Coordinator has been the lack of greenhouse space for starting seeds. This has placed a limit on the productivity of our yard gardens. Through the generosity of Kevington Corporation and their staff, LMNH has been given access to the District Main Building’s greenhouse (@ 29th and Main). This helps our program to start a lot more seeds and grow more food. Access to this space also allows us to grow strong, healthy transplants which will set us up for success!

Additionally, this gives LMNH a connection with owners and residents in an apartment building complementary to what has already existed with the homeowners who make land available for LMNH yard gardens. Through this connection, Breagha, our yard garden coordinator, has made contact with District Main residents and Kevington staff are setting up space at District Main for cold storage, another constraint to our food security program.

Some of the crops we have been growing in the greenhouse include: Bok Choy, Gai Lan, Green Onion, Peas, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, Basil, Lettuce, and Flowers (nasturtiums, lupin, sweet peas, marigolds, cosmos, coreopsis).

Fan in the greenhouse to help with circulation and heat control

Gai Lan transplants growing in the greenhouse

Plants hardening off outside getting ready for transplanting!

Welcoming new friends - mason bees!

May 6, 2023 Guest User

This week at the garden, Apr 26 & Apr 30, 2023

Are you our next Communications Officer?

April 24, 2023 Guest User

Apply for a Communications Officer position to support the work of the Riley Park Community Garden and the LMNH Food Hub.

This oregano has the Midas touch - This Week at the Garden, April 12 & 15, 2023

April 17, 2023 Guest User

There are many kinds of ornamental and culinary oreganos, but the golden variety is great because it checks both of these boxes!

Haskap: a new berry for northern home gardens - This Week at the Garden, April 2 & 5, 2023

April 8, 2023 Guest User

Developed from wild berry varieties found in Canada, Russia and Japan, there are many new cultivars available that yield large, sweet and tart fruits.

Canada's climate is a garden superpower! March 26 & 29 Guided Work Parties

March 31, 2023 Guest User

Coming into spring, it’s a good time to talk about day lengths, how they play into our climate in Canada, and how we can make the most of them as gardeners.

Canadice: the grape that does it all - Mar 22 Guided Work Party

March 24, 2023 Guest User

The final touches being put to the enlarged entrance portal into the garden, which hopefully the Canadice grapevine will cover in due course and provide us with grapes and leaves for dolmas!