Southwood Community Garden
Garden Bed Rental
Our community garden is located on the southside of the Community Hall at 11 Sackville Dr. SW . It was established in 2011 with the mission of bringing together our diverse community, demonstrating techniques of sustainable urban food production, and inspiring positive action.
We have 20 raised beds available for rental at a cost of $20/year plus a Southwood Community Association Membership for Southwood residents. For non-Southwood residents the cost for a bed is $40/year.
14 cedar beds and nearing the end of their life. We will work on repairing and replacing a few each season. 6 metal beds were installed in 2025.
Our season runs from mid-May to the first hard frost in October. Sign-ups for the 2026 season will open up in January 2026.
Each garden member will be assigned a watering day of the week over the summer months and are responsible for checking on and making sure the entire garden is watered. Garden members are also expected to attend and actively participate in meetings, fundraisers, workdays, and events.
Only one bed is held for returning members. If garden beds are not all allocated and tended to by June 1, then we will open up the possibility of members renting a second bed for the season.
Garden Features
Rain water collection: We have 2 x 1000L totes to collect rainwater off the community hall roof. This provides the gardeners with warm, chlorine free water for hand watering beds, reduces the storm water flowing directly to the storm sewer system and sediment discharge into the river and reduces the amount of treated city tap water used for irrigation.
Compost bins - we have three compost bins for composting organic garden matter. Woody material, pet waste, and weeds that have gone to seed need to be taken home for city composting.
Sea-can Storage - The Southwood Community Association has allowed us to share space in the sea-can storage unit for garden hoses and tools.
City water access and hose - We can use a tap on the north side of the Southwood Community Hall to water our garden. Make sure it is turned off after use!
Native plants and Pollinator beds - In 2024, Students from Harold Panabaker school planted pollinator plants from the Canadian Wildlife Federations Pollinator Conservation WildSpaces Initiative. These included Bee Balm, Butterfly Flower, Harebell, Dense blazing star, Blanket Flower, Common Sneezeweed. In 2025, volunteers with the Friends of Fish Creek Park planted rescued native flowers and grasses as part of their Grow with Us project.
Fruit Trees and Perennials:
Honeycrisp apple, Fall red apple, Carmine jewel sour cherry, Crimson passion sour cherry, Pembina plum, Goji berries, Black currents, Haskap berries, Raspberries, Saskatoons, Beta Grapes, Rhubarb. We would like to keep the apples for the harvest share event in September, but all other fruit can be harvested when ripe.
Garden Events and Fundraisers
February 28, 2026 - Seed Swap
May 23, 2026 - Plant Sale
Mid September - Harvest Share
Other Initiatives
Elbow Planters
The Southwood Community Association coordinates the volunteers and funds to plant and maintain the eight planters along Elbow Drive.
Contact us if you are interested in helping.
Fruit Tree Registry
If you have a fruit tree in Southwood and could use help picking your fruit for our harvest share, please contact us.
Garden Support and Partnership
2025
Thanks to the City of Calgary Neighbourhood Grant, which along with fundraisers such as the plant sale and Westcoast seed sale, provided the funding for six new metal garden beds from Raised Garden Beds Canada.
Thank you to Rose, Will, and Oliver for establishing a bed for rescued native plants in partnership with the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society Grow with Us program.
2021
Our mural unveiling and 10-year garden celebration July 24th 2021 was a success! Thank you to the Sadlier-Brown Band for the great music
The Greta Food truck for feeding us. My Fungi for installing a #myfungipatch and answering all our questions. We painted garden decorations and made seed-bombs. The silent auction was a great success! Thank you to the following local businesses for donations Haysboro Fit, Pet Planet Southwood Corner, Plato’s Closet, Om Cuisine of India, Bitter Sisters Brewing Co, and My Fungi! Thanks also to the Calgary Foundation for the Stepping stone grant to fund this free celebration and Rocky Mountain Soap Company for the delightful hand sanitizer.
2012
Thanks to TD Friends of the Environment, in Partnership with the Arusha Centre and anonymous donors for supporting our 2012 expansion of the garden to include edible and beneficial insect attracting perennial beds, fruit trees and shrubs.
Thank you to the City of Calgary and Brian Pincott for the Council Strategic Initiatives Funding for our Community ARTS Bench.
2011
With the generous support of the City of Calgary Parks; the City of Calgary Community Footprint Program and ConocoPhillips; the Calgary Foundation Neighbour grant in partnership with the Friends of the Calgary Federation of Communities and the Southwood Community Association our garden is a reality.
Thanks to Rona, Good Earth Cafe (Glenmore Landing), Wiens Developments Inc., Accell plumbing Ltd, Marksman Welding Inc., Harmonic Herbs, Quick Print Graphic Services, Home Depot, Second Cup, Tim Hortons (Southwood), Safeway, Planet Organic for their support, donations and discounts.
