Community Gardens
Community gardens play a vital role in building sustainable local food systems, providing access to fresh, healthy and nutritious food, and creating resilient community spaces.
Our Community Gardens Program is a partnership between Ecosource and the City of Mississauga, a collaboration that began in 2006 with the opening of the first community garden in a public park in Mississauga. Each year staff from Ecosource and the City’s Parks, Forestry and Environment Division work closely together to manage the City’s growing community garden network. The program connects residents in Mississauga neighbourhoods with gardening spaces that encourage active, healthy living and help green the city in support of Mississauga’s Climate Change Action Plan.
In 2020, the City of Mississauga’s Corporate Award for Community Partnership was awarded to Ecosource and the City of Mississauga’s Community Gardens team (including staff from Parks, Forestry and Environment and Legal Services). This award recognizes a joint project or event with an external organization, association, service group or level of government where the outcome has demonstrated mutual benefits.
Our Community Gardens Program is generously supported by the City of Mississauga and Ecosource is a proud member of the City of Mississauga’s Community Group Registry Program.
SIGN UP FOR A GARDEN PLOT
Please click here to sign up for the community gardens waitlist.
Please note that all community gardens are currently full.
All new applicants will be added to the waitlist.
Click on the map below to see the locations of our community gardens.
Before signing up, please read our Frequently Asked Questions document to learn more about becoming a member gardener at one of our community gardens.
ACCESSIBLE GARDEN PLOTS
If you have accessibility considerations, you can sign up for an accessible plot here.
Click the thumbnails below to learn more about each garden.
Through a partnership with the City of Mississauga and Evergreen, Ecosource worked to establish the first community garden on city parkland in Mississauga in 2006 – the Garden of the Valley.
Since then, it has flourished with support from many collaborative partnerships in the community and Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants. Located next to the Mississauga Valley Community Centre, this garden creates an oasis in the heart of the city. Due to its popularity, the garden has grown tremendously since it began, more than doubling in size from just 20 plots in 2006 to 44 plots today! Many gardeners return to their plot year after year and showcase great space-saving and intensive growing techniques. The success of this pilot project has led to the growing interest in establishing more community gardens throughout the city on public parkland.
For more information about the Garden of the Valley or any of our other community gardens, please email communitygardens@ecosource.ca. You can also check out upcoming events at the garden.
Garden of the Valley
1275 Mississauga Valley Blvd.
Mississauga, ON L5A 3R8
Breaking ground in July 2009, the Hillside Park community garden in Clarkson was created with the support of the Walmart Evergreen Green Grants Program. In May 2015, the garden was expanded and renovated, with support from PCL Construction and the City of Mississauga
This garden has been a great place for building networks and encouraging community involvement. Hillside’s garden members have greatly benefited from the engagement of the Mississauga Master Gardeners, who have contributed valuable expertise as well as innumerable hours maintaining the community spaces. Students from Elmcrest Public School, Archbishop Romero Catholic School and Hillside Senior Public School have been a great help in getting the garden up and started.
In May 2015, with support from PCL Construction and the City of Mississauga, Ecosource expanded the Hillside Community Garden to accommodate growing interest in garden space in the neighbourhood. Volunteers from PCL donated lumber and time to constructing brand new raised beds and a garden shed, and a group of dedicated volunteers helped install the garden. Ecosource staff Britt McKee and City of Mississauga artist Anna Ferguson designed a beautiful shed mural and our dedicated Hillside gardeners helped us open the expanded garden in June 2015. There are currently 30 individual plots, 5 community plots, and a pollinator garden at Hillside. For more information about the Hillside Garden or any of our other community gardens, please email communitygardens@ecosource.ca. You can also check out upcoming events at the garden.
Hillside Garden
1311 Kelly Road
Mississauga, ON L5J 3V1
The Malton Community Garden was created with support from Sobeys and the Earth Day Canada Community Environment Fund, and had its grand opening in June 2010.
Located adjacent to the Malton Community Centre, in Elmcreek Park, this garden encourages Malton residents to literally put roots down in growing their community and provides a welcoming space to share food, cultures, and build friendships. The garden contains 11 resident’s plots and 36 mini learning plots producing food for the Mt. Zion food bank. Many local groups, businesses, and organizations are coming together to grow food in communal plots with the intention of sharing the harvest with the community. We are especially appreciative of the support of local UPS employees helping out at the garden and fundraising to support much needed site improvements!
In 2011, the Malton Community Garden received an Ontario Heritage Trust Award for Community Stewardship. This garden incorporates lots of public art into the growing space through the creation of an artist-led mural painting with young people and community members on the garden shed.
For more information about the Malton Garden or any of our other community gardens, please email communitygardens@ecosource.ca. You can also check out upcoming events at the garden.
Malton Garden
7320 Darcel Avenue
Mississauga, ON L4T 4G5
The Parkway Green Generation Garden was officially opened in May 2011, in partnership with the City of Mississauga and the MIAG Centre for Diverse Women & Families.
The focus of the Generation Garden is the sharing of gardening skills and knowledge between local youth and seniors. The garden contains 40 individual and family plots that can be adopted to grow food, as well as a larger community learning space where students from Ecole Renee Lamoureux and other local youth can learn about gardening. The Generation Garden was established with support from the Evergreen Home Depot Rebuilding Nature Program.
Parkway Green is also home to Mississauga’s first Community Orchard, a laneway of apple and pear trees planted by students participating in the Human Experiential Leadership Program (HELP), a program of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. These students have supported all of our community gardens with their helping hands and exciting new ideas.
For more information about the Parkway Green Garden or any of our other community gardens, please email communitygardens@ecosource.ca. You can also check out upcoming events at the garden.
Parkway Green Garden
4215 Central Parkway East
Mississauga, ON L4Z 1M7
In partnership with the City of Mississauga, this public community garden opened in October 2015.
Located in Forest Glen Park between Glenforest Secondary School and Forest Glen Public school, the garden received great community support and a warm welcome in it’s inaugural year. It currently has 10 Member Plots and 6 Community Plots. The garden received generous materials support from PCL Construction as well as local volunteers, and students from Applewood Heights Secondary School helped to build the raised beds.
For more information about Forest Glen Community Garden or any of our other community gardens, please email communitygardens@ecosource.ca.
Forest Glen Community Garden
3545 Fieldgate Dr.
Mississauga, ON L4X 2J6
Hancock Woodlands, 2151 Camilla Road
What is a Community Garden?
A community garden is an opportunity for residents to literally put down roots in their community! The garden provides a welcoming space to grow and share food, and build friendships with your neighbours. Ecosource community gardens consist of Member Plots where residents can sign up for individual plots to grow food for themselves and their families. This is perfect for people who live in apartments and are looking for space to grow their own food! The garden also has community plots which offer opportunities for community agencies and partners to grow food for local food banks.
We also offer FREE family programs, where children, residents and local volunteers learn about growing food together through fun and active garden games!
To learn more about our new community garden, please contact communitygardens@ecosource.ca and write “Hancock Community Garden” in the subject line, or call 905-274-6222 ext. 303 for more information.
Hancock Woodlands
2171 Camilla Road
Mississauga, ON L5A 2K1
Churchill Meadows Community Garden
A partnership with the Erin Mills Farmers Market and the City of Mississauga
3715 Thomas Street
The Churchill Meadows Community Garden was established to connect local residents and agencies to growing space in the Churchill Meadows neighbourhood. It had its grand opening in 2017 and was expanded in 2020 in collaboration with the Erin Mills Farmers Market.
Located within the Churchill Meadows Community Common, this garden currently contains 39 resident plots, 2 raised accessible plots, 6 community plots which produce food for local food banks, and a native plant pollinator garden. Neighbourhood groups, including the Erin Mills Farmers Market, Community Living Mississauga and Applewood School come together to steward the garden over the growing season.
For the past several years, Erin Mills Farmers Market and Ecosource have been working collaboratively to relocate their community gardeners from a former site, to continue to support their mandate of creating a hub for fresh, local food and friendly community. Their relocation to the Churchill Meadows Community Garden, has allowed for a garden expansion that incorporates accessibility features identified in community consultations such as improved water access and additional food growing space.
The Churchill Meadows Community Garden has also been a leading site for integrating accessible garden features and programs, and currently includes two raised accessible beds and improved water access. It has become an important space for welcoming community members with physical or intellectual disabilities through our partnerships with Community Living Mississauga and Applewood School.
The Small Arms Community Garden is the newest community garden on City of Mississauga public land.
This unique community garden project is part of a larger redevelopment of the Small Arms Inspection Building. It features 22 individual plots and 4 community plots. The Small Arms Community Garden officially opened on June 23rd. Over the course of the growing season, Ecosource and the Small Arms Society are committed to transplanting the asters back onto the site, where they were once found growing wild.
To learn more about Small Arms Community Garden, or how to register for a plot, please email communitygardens@ecosource.ca or call 905-274-6222 ext. 303. Click here for more information about the Small Arms Building.
Small Arms Community Garden
1352 Lakeshore Rd. East,
Mississauga, ON L5E 1E9
The Cooksville Community Garden is now open!
Made possible through funding provided by the City of Mississauga and the Government of Canada, the new community garden will join nine existing community gardens located in City of Mississauga parks and will be managed by the City’s Environment Section and Ecosource.
Sign up to join the community garden waitlist
Space is limited in the community garden so plots will be assigned from a waitlist as they become available. Gardening terms will be limited to three years per resident.
Click here to register for the waitlist. Please select Cooksville Community Garden on the form.
There are a limited number of accessible plots available in the new garden. These plots are designed for residents with accessibility considerations. If you would like to add your name to the waitlist for an accessible plot, follow the link here to redirect you to our accessible plot waitlist sign-up form.
To learn more about the community garden, please visit the FAQ page.
Our Community Gardens Program is a partnership between Ecosource and the City of Mississauga, a collaboration that began in 2006 with the opening of the first community garden in a public park in Mississauga. Each year staff from Ecosource and the City’s Parks, Forestry and Environment Division work closely together to manage the City’s growing community garden network. The program connects residents in Mississauga neighbourhoods with gardening spaces that encourage active, healthy living and help green the city in support of Mississauga’s Climate Change Action Plan.
Our Community Gardens Program is generously supported by the City of Mississauga and Ecosource is a proud member of the City of Mississauga’s Community Group Registry Program.
