The Hill Street Community Garden was created in the spring of 2010 to create gardening  and community meeting space in south-central Hamilton, Ontario.  A small but determined group of garden organizers led the project and were able to secure the use of some empty green space owned by the City of Hamilton. Five local churches partner on the garden: First Hamilton Christian Reformed Church (lead partner), St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Central Presbyterian Church, First Unitarian Church, and New City Church. The garden is also endorsed by the area Kirkendall, Strathcona and Durand neighbourhood associations.

The garden currently has more than 40 gardeners at work in the 30 raised beds.  The garden plots are large – each one is 200 square feet – and they provide lots of room for growing a wide range of vegetables and flowers.  Gardeners pay a small annual fee and also share in larger garden projects and work as needed.

A garden shed was also built by the gardeners with donated materials and has one of the first ‘green’ roofs in Hamilton.  A variety of events were held in the first season from weekly Art in the Garden nights and work days to a poetry reading by local poet, John Terpstra and a harvest party.

For more information, please visit the website at www.hillstreetgarden.org.