Elgin Street EarthCARE Garden

December 9, 2008

The EarthCARE Garden, funded by the City of Ottawa's Green Partnership program, has been a community project. The garden runs along the Gilmour Street face of the school and was initiated by a group of Centertown residents in partnership with Elgin Street PS and its Parent Council.

Initiated in the spring of 2008, planning and development continued through the summer months with planting beginning in September. The students in Grades 2-5, including students in the EarthCARE Team, planted the garden with the support of parents, teachers, and members of the Ottawa Horticultural Society (OHS).

The garden is composed of low-maintenance and drought and salt-tolerant native plants so as to minimize the amount of water and hours of maintenance required, as well as to maximize the garden's potential to withstand the harsh downtown location.

There is both an educational and leadership component to the garden and it has been a wonderful opportunity for the children and the community to interact and learn from each other. You can follow the progress of this garden at www.elginschool-council.org