2007 Community Planting

2007 at the Plant Pool Recreation Centre

Spring came to the Plant Pool Recreation Centre, and we were pleased to find that our gardens had wintered well. These are the gardens planted in 2006 at the corner of Preston and Somerset Streets, behind the Vietnamese Monument , and in front of the Plant Pool Recreation Centre. The gardens were a cooperative project of the Ottawa Horticultural Society (OHS), the Plant Pool Recreation Association (PPRA), and the Vietnamese Canadian Centre (VCC). The project was supported, in part, with a grant from the City of Ottawa under the CEPGP program. In 2007 we will be adding a path and a seating area and planting a variety of trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses in this seating area.

On Tuesday, June 26, a task force of volunteers from the OHS, the PPRA, and the VCC gathered at the Centre, ready for action. On hand were 8 tonnes of crushed stone, 2 tonnes of stone dust, and a rented Bobcat and tamper.

Doug and a Bobcat cleared the way for the path and spread crushed stone while Ida and Jan raked and shovelled and shovelled and raked.

Ida and Jenn doing the Bobcat Rock and Roll.

Gillian, Jenn and Laurie building up a new bed with the soil cleared from the pathway.

Can and Jenn fitting a perforated drain pipe onto the downspout. This will help to disperse the water running off the roof of the building and direct it to the root zone of the trees and shrubs.

Jenn, Can, and Ida burying the new drain pipe.

Doug, firing up the tamping machine. In the end, Danny, a complete stranger who happened to be passing by, rolled up his sleeves and happily piloted the tamper up and down the pathway.

The pathway and one of the park benches are now in place and the beds are awaiting a layer of new topsoil. When the topsoil comes, we'll be ready to rake it in and to start planting.

To be continued on a Saturday in the near future. . . Watch The OHS Grapevine for an announcement if you would like to help.