Langley’s newest community garden is on track for a Victoria Day long weekend opening and is taking its first registrations for the approximately 50 plots that will be available to members of the public.
Opportunity Landing is doing a trial run of a new type of community garden on land loaned by Trinity Western University this spring and summer.
“We are doing so well,” said Janet Kreiter, executive director and founder of the project.
With her husband Tim and daughter Erin, Kreiter is hoping that eventually a permanent site of up to 10 acres for the garden can be found somewhere in Langley Township.
But for now, an underused TWU parking lot is being transformed into a community garden, designed so that everyone, including disabled residents, can plant some vegetables, herbs, or flowers.
Elevated planting beds in boxes allow people with mobility issues equal access with the able-bodied.
As of the week of May 7, more than 24 garden boxes had been fully finished and painted, and another 20 to 30 were built and awaiting a stretch of dry weather for their painting.
Soil had also been delivered.
“It is the most gorgeous, smelly soil ever,” Kreiter said.
Volunteers were coming to the site on Friday, May 7 to load up the first set of boxes with the new dirt.
There are a number of community gardens around Langley already, usually used by people who live in apartments, condos, or townhouses and don’t have the room for a garden. Langley Environmental Partners Society, Langley City, and other groups operate several, but there are often waiting lists for garden plots.
The site will have COVID-19 protocols in place for users.
People can pre-register at opportunitylanding.ca for one of the available gardening spots for this spring.
READ MORE: New Langley community garden gets test run this spring at TWU
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