Building the Garden Thanks to a $1500 grant from Vancouver Coastal Health, we were able to purchase all the supplies we needed to establish the Chartwell Community Garden.

A small strip of wasteland next to the staff parking lot was chosen as a suitable location for the garden. The area of the plot (approx. 20’ x 6’) was roughly marked out and rototilled.

A cedar frame was built to allow for a raised bed and to keep the growing area contained.

The composter was placed on a mound next to the garden. This particular model is called an “Earth Machine” and is available at a cost of $25 from GVRD transfer stations. The “Earth Machine” is ideal because it is fully enclosed to deter unwanted pests, and it has a hatch at the bottom for easy removal of compost.

Once the frame was finished, it was filled with topsoil delivered from the North Shore Transfer Station. The garden was ready for planting.

Back in the classroom, teams of students were given the task of painting and decorating the facia that would later be affixed to the frame of the garden. Each team was given a panel to work on. Each panel was then stained and sealed before being attached to the front and sides of the garden.