“We hear so much about the physical and mental benefits of gardening and just being in the garden.”
Bow Valley – Cool temperatures and snowy weather make the Bow Valley's growing season short and delightful most years.
But whether you're a novice gardener putting your fingers into dewy soil for the first time or an advanced gardener adding variety to your yard, more and more people are discovering the benefits of growing plants and vegetables.
“We hear so much about the physical and mental benefits of gardening and just being in a garden,” says Karen Boyd, president of the Canmore Community Gardening Association. “A garden is just a beautiful place, with everything growing and everything green and lush. It's really hard to quantify or put into words the benefits until you've experienced it.”
The Canmore Community Garden has grown this year, adding space near the hospital and increasing the association's membership from 90 to 120 community gardeners, as well as adding 25 plot gardeners. The expansion was made possible by a grant from the Greymont Carbon Reduction Fund, but Boyd said in recent years, they've seen more locals become interested in getting their hands dirty and trying out different ways to grow vegetables.
The same phenomenon is occurring around the valley.
In 2021, the community of Deadman's Flats opened a small fenced-in community garden, while westward, in Banff's three greenhouses, demand for one of the 80 available plots has been high, especially during a pandemic year when gardeners have had to sign up for long waiting lists.
An interesting hobby, a constant supply of fresh food and produce, and mental health relief are some of the reasons gardening is growing locally.
The Canmore Public Library has also launched a seed swap pilot program that will run until July 31. It's similar to a roadside free library, where people take a few seeds and leave some for others.
Librarian Melissa Lambe said she thinks the city of Canmore could benefit when it comes to rising grocery costs and increased food security. The library has already seen success with the pilot, with different people picking different seeds.
“It's really interesting to see the diversity of people who are getting it,” Lambe said.
“…People will ask, 'Oh, can I take those?' Yes, of course. You can take as many as you want. I think that's another interesting thing about what we're doing. We don't put a limit on the number of seeds people can take. As long as there are seeds, they can take as many as they want, whenever they want.”
Planting and Cultivation in the Bow Valley
Banff, Canmore, Iyare (Stony) Nakoda, Bighorn and Kananaskis Country, Maryland are considered to be within hardiness zone 3, while Lake Louise falls into the zone 2 category.
For local gardeners, that usually means cooler temperatures, but there are still plenty of vegetables that are easy to grow in the area.
According to the 2024 Old Farmers Almanac, Banff's frost-free period is listed as 56 days in total, from June 23 to August 19. Lake Louise's frost-free period is listed as four days, from July 14 to 19.
Boyd, a master gardener in the Bow Valley, said the outdoor growing season varies from year to year but is typically 60 to 70 days from July through September.
“Our challenge is to adapt,” Boyd says, “…we're very conscious of how long it takes to grow vegetables, because we're in the Bow Valley and if we have a late spring and early fall, our growing season can be quite short.”
In the Bow Valley, the best seeds to plant in soil, whether in the ground, in raised beds, or in pots, are leafy greens like Swiss chard, arugula, lettuce, kale, early romaine, and spinach. Root vegetables like beets, radishes, potatoes, and carrots also grow well. To add a little flavor to your meals, herbs like chives, basil, mint, dill, and coriander are great for Zone 3. Other green vegetables you can grow in Zone 3 include beans, peas, zucchini, and squash.
Some plants, such as tomatoes, are better grown indoors through the winter and spring. They will require a little extra planning and extra indoor space to get started, but a good grow light/heat lamp system can help with germination and prepare your plants for when it's time to move them outdoors or into a greenhouse.
Fertilizer and compost will also be helpful during the production season.
Rules and Regulations
Towns like Banff and Canmore take the coexistence of humans and wildlife seriously, so it's not hard to imagine that a garden full of vegetables would be too much of a temptation for bears, deer and moose to resist.
Backyard vegetable gardens are permitted in both mountain areas, but there are rules and regulations to reduce or eliminate materials that attract wildlife, such as fruit, trash, waste, food, food waste, and compost.
For example, if a bear comes into a town and feeds on fruit trees or other wildlife attractants, it may become accustomed to that food source and return to the town multiple times, potentially becoming a danger to residents over time.
This may result in relocation or euthanasia.
For this reason, efforts to cut down fruit trees are being made in earnest.
But what about gardens?
“Vegetable gardens are permitted in Canmore, but they must be kept away from wildlife,” said Caitlin Miller, Canmore's conservation services manager, in an email. “A good example of this is the community gardens we have in town – they are tightly fenced and make it very difficult for wildlife to get to them. City enforcement encourages local residents with vegetable gardens to either tightly fence them or grow them in greenhouses.”
Greenhouses must be built in accordance with zoning ordinance regulations and, if you are building it yourself, you will also need a building permit if it is an accessible location.
Backyard greenhouses are also permitted in Banff, as long as they comply with the requirements of the town's land use bylaw.
Banff Environmental Manager Michael Hay said many residents grow vegetables in their backyard gardens but it's generally discouraged because of local standards bylaws that prohibit the accumulation of wildlife attraction sites.
“This is to keep bears from coming into town and is the linchpin of our fruit tree replanting program,” Hay said of the free incentive program. “We strongly encourage residents and businesses to cut back their fruit trees to remove fruit that attracts wildlife – apples, cherries, rowan, etc. This is a big priority for us.”
With caution and common sense, many have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy a fulfilling experience at “Grow Valley.”
