Edible plants in public places
Survey - edible gardens and plants in public places
Would you like to see more edible gardens in parks and public spaces? Do you have an idea for workshops to help you learn more about growing and connecting with food? If so, please take our survey
Edible landscaping is about filling the public realm, such as parks, trails and even planters, with all manner of creative food growing projects. This includes the substitution of ornamental flowers with vegetables, herbs and pollinator friendly flowers.
Edible landscaping projects take all shapes and sizes, limited only by imagination and access to public space. These projects typically have the following elements:
- Projects are visible and invite interaction
- Projects have oversight and are coordinated by volunteers or County Staff
- Food grown is for everyone, often with a point person coordinating the harvest.
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There are more than 350 large, decorative planters in Sherwood Park that are planted each spring with beautiful flowers. In 2018, we are doing things a little differently. Vegetables, such as peas, tomatoes, carrots and lettuce, herbs and edible flowers, will be planted in five planters near the spray park entrance at Broadmoor Lake Park. Each planter is unique, with different edible plants!
Pick some leave some
Visit the planters spring, summer and fall to see how the plants are growing. The edible planters are for the you to enjoy. Bring a bag and garden scissors, and help yourself to some of what’s growing. Each planter will have a plant list so you know what’s growing.Where would you like to see planters filled with edible plants? Call us at 780-417-7100 to share your ideas.
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Online Edible Map – coming soon!
Find all the ways we are growing urban agriculture in Strathcona County!The online map is an inventory of resident and County-led initiatives that support growing food in public places, such as parks, trails, school yards and church grounds. The map highlights food grown by groups, including community and school gardens (where food grown is harvested by members), as well as projects that support pollinator habitat. Edible plants that grow naturally in public spaces such as storm ponds and trails are highlighted on the map alongside edible planters.
The map will be updated regularly as our inventory of edible plants and landscapes continues to grow.
Help us populate the map! Residents are invited to share locations of edible shrubs and trees throughout urban areas in Strathcona County. Call us at 780-417-7100.
If you can’t name it, don’t eat it!
Many kinds of edible berries and plants grow in the wild, including public parks, trails and sport fields. It’s not advised to eat wild plants unless you are able to identify and edible plant or berry with complete certainty.
Transportation and Agriculture Services
Phone: 780-417-7100
Email: transportationandagriculture@strathcona.ca
