Community gardens in Guelph will reopen on May 15.
In compliance with a provincial order that the gardens are considered an essential service, the City of Guelph announced Tuesday city gardens would be opening but with some specific guidelines, including:
- Restricting garden access to community gardener coordinators and registered gardeners—no access to the public at this time.
- Maintaining a distance of 2 metres (6 feet) between gardeners,
- Washing your hands before and after gardening.
- Cleaning all shared spaces and high-touch areas.
- Using your own gardening tools and gloves or cleaning shared tools and gloves after using.
Gardeners who do not follow public health guidelines may be asked to leave the garden, or face fines for non-compliance under the Ontario Emergency Measures Orders and Regulations, said a city news release.
The complete Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health guidelines are posted online at guelph.ca/communitygardens.
The city also anounced there will be four new community gardens built in Guelph parks. A community garden at Burns Drive Park will be built immediately while community gardens at Stephanie Drive Park, St. George's Park and Mollison Drive Park will be built this fall so they will be ready for the 2021 growing season.
The city's Our Food Future will be providing free gardening kits to over 700 children in Guelph-Wellington. Details on how to sign-up for and pick-up the kits will be posted on foodfuture.ca May 14.
