Kimberley Edible Gardens & Greenhouse

KEGG is a non-profit organization of gardeners growing food for local families through cooperation and collaboration and offering education through participation. Located in beautiful Kimberley, British Columbia.

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It’s been a minute since our last social media update about the garden, but that’s not because we haven’t been busy gardening (in fact, we’ve just been so busy that we keep forgetting to take/post pictures) — so here’s some snapshots from our last group workbee to show the current state of the KEGG garden (where we have all our rows planted and starts transplanted and the irrigation ready to go once this latest cool/rainy stretch is past… and we’ve even had some tasty harvests of radishes, chives and spinach as we all get eager for that best part of the year when everything else popping out of the soil starts getting greener & grander) 🙌

And how have thing been going/growing at your garden so far this year?

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Tickets now also on sale in Cranbrook at Top Crop, as well as Top Crop Too, Centre 64 & The Grater Good — visit the Kimberley Art in the Garden Tour facebook page for more info/updates leading up to the big day on June 28th!

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🗣 KEGG Plant Sale this Saturday!

Looking to add a few more plants to your garden this spring? We’ve got some extra starts looking for new homes at the KEGG garden this Saturday, May 9th from 10am to Noon-ish at 500 Rossland Blvd in Kimberley Townsite (aka: McDougall Park… where the old outdoor swimming pool used to be) 🌱

We’ll have:

🍅 Tomato starts 🌿 A selection of herbs 🪴 Lots of hens & chicks succulents …and possibly a few other garden extras as we continue getting the KEGG garden planted for another season of local growing.

Whether you’re filling a backyard garden, balcony pots, or just looking for a few more plants to experiment with this year, come say hi and see what’s available!

📍 KEGG Garden — 500 Rossland Blvd, Kimberley Townsite neighbourhood

🕙 Saturday, May 9th | 10am–Noon-ish

We hope to see you there!

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We had another busy & productive Saturday morning group work bee (to go along with a busy & productive Tuesday evening group work bee last week)… and with the weather forecast looking the way it does, it’s looking like we’re looking to do the same thing again this week (and the next week, and the next week, and etc until the fall — because ‘tis the season once again, eh) 🌻🐝

Some of the garden tasks accomplished this last week were:

✅ more garden rows and standing beds and greenhouse beds were amended with a mix of compost and manure and soil 👍

✅ more weeding was done to prep for more vertical growing arches (and more beds were widened & reshaped) 👍

✅ some tomatoes were transplanted in the greenhouse + some other starts were re-potted, including cukes & melons) 👍

✅ beets and carrots and Swiss chard was planted, leek starts were transplanted, spinach was seeded, and a bunch of potatoes were put in the ground & hilled 🥔

✅ strawberry baskets were hung around the garden on fence posts 🍓

✅ we continue to harden off seed starts for future transplanting (and we even have some new experiments like peanuts 🥜)

✅ the irrigation system has begun its seasonal setup (with the traditional hiccups that come with re-setting that up) and we’ve begun working out organizing ourselves for daily garden/water check shifts 👍

✅ compost was turned, worms were found, coffee was sipped, and conversations on a multitude of topics were had… including plans for having a community plant sale at our next group work bee on Saturday May 9th (but more on that in a future post) 🌱

So cheers to this lovely Spring weather and May the fourth also be with you and your garden plans this year ✌️

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We had our first KEGG group workbee this weekend (thankfully before the snow started to fall)… and with around 30 garden members showing up (ranging from 4 years old to 80+ years old), we managed to get a whole bunch of garden task taken care of, including:

✅ a bunch of strawberry runners and thyme (and oregano) were potted up (with baskets ready for hanging on fence posts)!

✅ our first planting of parsnips was done (with some beets, carrots and leeks soon to follow)!

✅ weeds were picked and beds were prepped and our rhubarb section was attended to!

✅ the active compost pile and the curing compost pile got their first pitchfork turns of the year (and wheelbarrows of screened compost was added around the garden)!

✅ worms were found!

✅ coffee and tea and muffins were enjoyed (and many introductions were made as there are many new members this year)!

✅ the tool shed got a good sorting out (and dump runs were made)!

✅ our first vertical growing arch was put in place (with a few more still to be setup)!

✅ many home-started plants were setup in the greenhouse as we continue to monitor our ability to keep the temp above 0 over night (so far so good) + some handy work was done around the greenhouse!

✅ even more stuff than what has been listed here was also done (because who can keep an eye on that many gardeners)!

So cheers to another great year of growing locally with other locals… we hope your first day/s in the garden have got off to a great start too 🙌

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This Tuesday, the Kimberley Public Library reading room was once again turned into a temporary seeding room as we had another full house for our second (and final) Seed Starting Workshop of the season 🌱

The KEGG garden and the Wildsight Kimberley community garden would like to give a special shoutout to everyone who came out to our two workshops and we hope the seed starts you took home start your local growing adventure off right + we’d also like to remind everyone that the Kimberley Seed Library continues to be stocked with free seeds for any locals looking to grow locally this year (and, fyi, we’ve recently restocked with some more varieties that were leftover from our recent seed starting workshops)🙌

Also extra shoutouts to Sarah at Top Crop Too for all her seedy information and local stokeness for helping locals grow more + thanks to Kimberley Cranbrook Food Network (with support from United Way BC) for making initiatives like the Kimberley Seed Library and these seed starting workshops possible (including similar initiatives over in Cranbrook) 🙏

Don’t let these sporadic April snow days & temporary cold snaps fool ya… another outside gardening season is very much upon us and we hope to see y’all out there getting your local green thumbs dirty (whether as a part of a community garden or as a gardener in the community or a combination of the two) — let’s grow 🌻

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The KEGG garden is excited to be a part of this lovely local gardening celebration again!

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Shoutout to everyone who came out to the free Seed Starting Workshop that KEGG - Kimberley Edible Gardens & Greenhouse and the Wildsight Kimberley Community Garden hosted upstairs at Kimberley Public Library this Tuesday 🙌

We had a great turnout of locals looking to grow locally this year, turning the library’s reading room into more of a seeding room (at least for an hour) — and everybody went home with some trays of seed starts (including the community gardens) as well as a bunch of seed packets from the Kimberley Seed Library going home with participants for even more planting back at theirs 🌱

Shoutout also to Sarah at Top Crop Too for hooking us all up with informative handouts and extra seeds and shoutout to the Kimberley Cranbrook Food Network (with support from United Way BC) for helping make seed starting workshops like this + seed sharing initiatives like the Kimberley Seed Library happen in our community (as well as similar seedy goodness happening in Cranbrook between community gardens/gardeners and the library there)🙌

We’ll be back at the Kimberley library next Tuesday to do another seed starting workshop (and we hear there’s already a full room registered) — so shoutout to everyone excited about growing locally this year and we hope you’ll use the #kimcrangrowtogether hashtag to share how things grow with the rest of us (while also helping to fill the local socials with more pics of vegetables & flowers so everybody’s timelines contain more encouraging reminders of all the local non-divisive goodness that grows all around our interconnected communities too) 🌱

And if you ever find yourself looking for more information on local seedy stuff (like seed libraries and workshops and garden information), you can find an ongoing accumulation of seedy information like that over at 👇

👉 kimcranfood.net/grow 👍

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If the warming days weren't enough of a reminder, last year's garlic crop is starting to push up towards the blue sky — which means the signs are really starting to add up to the fact that the 2026 outdoor growing season is very much very near!

And what better way to start getting ready for planting outside than getting some more inside seed starts ready for transplanting by attending one of the upcoming FREE Seed Starting Workshops that KEGG is hosting with the Wildsight Kimberley Community Garden at the Kimberley Public Library on Tuesday, April 14th and Tuesday, April 21st?!

These workshops are perfect if you’re new to seed starting or just want a bit more confidence getting things going for the season — as our community gardens/gardeners will be on hand to help get you started with the seeds & supplies you'll need (which you get to take home with yourself) + we'll also be talking about general local seedy stuff based on our own gardening experiences growing in the local area (so come with your local growing questions and leave with some seed starts to grow locally at yours)

👉 Registration for these FREE workshops is required through the Kimberley Library (as spaces are limited), so make sure to swing by your local library to sign-up for whichever workshop date works best for you or reach out via email/phone (both workshops run from 3:30pm to 4:30pm):

📧 [email protected] 📞 250-427-3112

We’ll also be restocking the Kimberley Seed Library this week — so whether you're swinging by the local library to register for one of these upcoming seed starting workshops or whether you're just looking for some seeds to do a DIY seed starting workshop at your own place, everyday the library is open is a good day to swing by the library!

Whether it's at one of these workshops or at a community garden work bee or just online sharing locally grown goodness with the #kimcrangrowtogether hashtag… we hope to see(d) you out there this year!

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Things are already growing behind the scenes for KEGG’s 2026 garden season… from red cabbage and leeks started at the end of February to a whole lineup of onions, peppers, herbs, and tomatoes now underway across a handful of KEGG’r home setups (and yes — we’re keeping track of it all in a spreadsheet like the professional amateur gardeners we are)!

Because that’s some of the magic of how KEGG works — we don’t just garden in one space, we garden as a community, with seeds being started in kitchens, basements, and grow shelves around Kimberley (wherever there is space) before our cold northern climate gives us the ok to start making our way into the shared garden space and we start planting directly in the soil 🌱

If you caught the pepper seed starting video we shared last week, you’ve already seen a bit of this volunteered effort in action — and these latest starter plant shots are just another glimpse at our collective gardening efforts in action (as we all eagerly await outdoor gardening season to arrive).

If you’re also feeling inspired to get something growing yourself (because some things definitely need a head start when you garden in one of Canada's highest cities), we'd love to remind you that there are some FREE Seed Starting Workshops coming up at the Kimberley Public Library that KEGG will be hosting with the Wildsight Kimberley Community Garden on April 14th and April 21st — so make sure you pop by the library to register, as there are a limited amount of spaces available (and everything you plant on the day you get to take home with you) 👍

You can also just pop by the library and visit the Kimberley Seed Library and grab some FREE seed packets for doing your own self-guided seed starting workshops + don't forget that your Kimberley library card gets you 10% off gardening supplies at Top Crop Too all growing season 👍 👍

Because whether it’s a full garden bed or just a few seedlings on a windowsill, it all adds up — and it all plays a part in growing more food (and more connection) across our community 🙌

So plant a row, share a row (however you roll) and let's get growing!

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With temperatures getting above 10°C and snow days turning into rain days this week, it’s hard not to start dreaming about the upcoming garden season. And there’s no better way to lean into that feeling than getting a few seeds started indoors — especially something that comes with a bit of future heat like peppers 🌶️

To help get you started, Amy (one of our KEGG directors) put together this step-by-step video showing how she starts pepper seeds at home — including her setup, soil prep, planting depth, and a few simple tips to help improve your chances of success!

Whether you’re brand new to growing or just looking to refine your process, this is a great walkthrough (and a good motivator if you picked up some pepper seeds but haven’t got them started yet) — plus the seed starting tips apply to more than just peppers!

Because the recent Seedy Saturday events in Cranbrook and Kimberley aren’t the only ways to get engaged with the local growing and sharing buzz this year (so no worries if you missed them) — here are a few more ways to go along with this video and get more of us growing locally this spring:

The Kimberley Seed Library (at the Kimberley Public Library) is stocked with free seeds (including plenty of peppers) throughout the growing season — just stop by during library hours. There’s also a Cranbrook Seed Library at the Cranbrook Public Library.

You can always pick up seeds and supplies at Top Crop Too — and if you have a Kimberley Public Library card, you’ll get 10% off gardening supplies!

Join KEGG and the Wildsight Kimberley Community Garden for a free Seed Starting Workshop at the Kimberley Public Library (April 14 & April 21) — perfect for crops that get started a little later in the season than peppers.

Or, if you’re in Cranbrook, there’s a free Seed Starting Workshop happening this weekend (March 21) at the Cranbrook Public Library, hosted by the Cranbrook Public Produce Garden.

So whether you’re starting seeds on a kitchen table, a grow rack, in your backyard garden, or alongside others at one of the wonderful community gardens in our interconnected communities — we’re excited to see what everybody is growing this season (and we hope you'll remember to 'Plant A Row, Share A Row' to help spread the bounty around)!

And if you’re sharing socially along the way, please tag your local gardening adventures with #kimcrangrowtogether so we can all follow along, learn, and be inspired by each other 🙌

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Not only is the Kimberley Seed Library back in the front room of the Kimberley Public Library — stocked with FREE seed packets for anyone in the community looking to grow locally this season — but another great local partnership is back as well!

Thanks to the community collaboration between Kimberley Public Library and Top Crop Too, anyone who presents their Kimberley Public Library card at Top Crop Too (the Kimberley location) can receive 10% off growing supplies!

That includes things like seeds, soils, fertilizers, and seed-starting supplies — a nice little boost for anyone getting their garden going this spring, and a great reminder to get yourself a free Kimberley Library card if you don’t already have one.

It’s one more way our local community is helping make it easier for people to grow their own food and learn new gardening skills — which often leads to sharing food locally too once all those planted seeds start coming up later this year (as anyone who has ever grown zucchini can confirm) 🙌

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🗣️ We stopped by the Kimberley Public Library this morning to get the Kimberley Seed Library stand set up and stocked up for local growers — and it’s now open for seedy business whenever our lovely Platzl library is open (which is RIGHT NOW… if you're reading this during library opening hours)!

The Kimberley Seed Library is a simple idea with a big goal: helping more people grow food locally by providing FREE donated seeds (and encouraging the sharing of saved and/or still viable seeds) — while also encouraging more local food sharing by connecting this initiative with the Plant A Row, Share A Row program.

How the Kimberley Seed Library works:

🌱 Seed packets are FREE for all local residents

🌱 1–5 seed packets per household

🌱 Take the entire packet & plant what you take

🌱 No “check-out” process required — just come by the Kimberley Library and grab some seeds that you're interested in growing this year

While you're there, you might also want to check out the library’s gardening section for a few books to take home along with your seeds (plus the library currently has a handy garden book display table set up right beside the seed library stand).

Whether you're planting a backyard garden, a few pots on the deck, or experimenting with something new this year — the Kimberley Seed Library is here to help get things growing (and once those things start growing… don’t forget to share what's been grown with friends, family, neighbours, and/or our local food banks + food recovery depots)!

👉 More info on all of the above here: kimcranfood.net/grow

The Kimberley Seed Library is made possible through the collaborative efforts of local partners including the Kimberley Public Library, KEGG - Kimberley Edible Gardens & Greenhouse, Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook & the Wildsight Community Garden, Top Crop Too, United Way BC, and the broader Kimberley Cranbrook Food Network (and shout out to Funk Haus Craft Lab for last year's crafty work on decorating our seed display that we were able to run back this year) 🙌

Finally, if you're interested in some more help getting growing this year, make sure to check out the Kimberley Seed Starting Workshop (April 14th) + Kimberley Seed Starting Workshop (April 21st) that will be happening in the library's reading room next month (just make sure to register with the library first, as spaces are limited)!

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🌱 Shoutout to everyone who came out to make Seedy Saturday a wonderful start to the 2026 growing season! 🙌

Hundreds of seed packets went home with local gardeners throughout the day yesterday — helping encourage more food to be grown (and shared) across our community this year.

A big thank you to Ashley from the Wildsight Community Garden for organizing the event, and shout out Lindsay Park School for once again hosting this great gathering of local growers + locals interested in doing more growing.

We’re also grateful to everyone who helped make the day informative and interactive — including Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy and Nupqu for their engaging information tables (and sweet swag and easter baskets), and Sarah from Top Crop Too for sharing a wealth of local growing knowledge and contributing some great door prizes + ongoing local growing enthusiasm.

Thanks as well to Dennis from 107.5 2day FM for stopping by to do an interview & capture a nice group photo (best of luck with your bush beans)!

One of the nicest parts of the day was seeing how the spirit of sharing continues to grow in Kimberley — some folks came by not just to pick up seeds for their gardens, but also to donate seeds they had saved from their own gardens last season. The enthusiasm in the air for the upcoming growing season was felt in the friendly conversations that filled the room all day 🌻

And the next generation of gardeners got involved too — a few kids rolled up their sleeves, got their hands dirty, and planted pepper seeds to take home and grow & there was more than few little ones excitedly filling up their baskets with seeds for planting at home.

If you missed out on the seeds yesterday, don’t kick yourself too much — because The Kimberley Seed Library will be making its return to the front room of the Kimberley Public Library starting this Tuesday (March 10th), and there is still a large inventory of seed packets that will be made freely available to community members throughout the growing season during regular library hours (and a little bird tells me that there'll be a library card discount on certain gardening supplies at a certain local gardening store… but more on that next week).

So, as you start planning your garden this year, we'd like to remind you of the great 'Plant a Row, Share a Row' initiative available to anyone to partake in — as all it asks is to consider planting a little extra with the intention of sharing it with friends, family, neighbours, and/or community programs like our local KimCran Food Banks and Food Recovery Depots (because strengthening local food security may not be something that any one individual garden or gardener can tackle alone, but you'd be surprised how much a whole bunch of gardens/gardeners can impact our interconnected communities when we all start putting our green thumbs together).

Thanks again to everyone who came out and got involved — and here’s to another season of locally growing, learning, and sharing together whenever/wherever we can!

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We’ll be there… and so will a fully-stocked Kimberley Seed Library 🌱

🪴 Check out the full event details over on Wildsight's website: https://wildsight.ca/events/seedy-saturday-kimberley-4/

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🗣️ Besides the excellent Tea Creek documentary being screened at this FREE event AND tea & snacks being provided for the pre-screening networking part that runs from 5:30pm to 6:30pm (a mingling session that KEGG will be a part of along with the Wildsight Community Garden and other Kimberley Cranbrook Food Network members) — this Sunday will also see the first 2026 appearance of the Kimberley Seed Library stand (which will be stocked with seed packets that are available for free) 🙌

Sounds like a great way to start getting ready for another great year of growing/sharing locally, eh?

You can find more event details over on the FB event page: fb.com/share/17ysnqoJY1

Hope to see some of y'all there!

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It's been a bit quiet on the KEGG socials since we wrapped up the 2025 garden season back in October… and that is mainly because we live in Canada and it has been winter (a notoriously not great time of the year for outdoor gardening).

But with this latest stretch of warm weather melting snow on a level that makes one start double-checking the calendar to see how many weeks until the first official day of spring, we figured it was time to dust off our hibernating Facebook & Instagram accounts to let everybody know about the following:

1 - We have not determined an official date for when the Kimberley Seed Library will be making its return to the Kimberley Public Library, but we can let you know that when it does return, we are very much well-stocked on seed packets to kick the year off (thanks to a very generous donation from the Cranbrook Public Produce Garden, who had a generous donation from Home Hardware, plus we also got a great donated box of over 100 different seed types from West Coast Seeds to include)!

2 - There are a bunch of seedy events coming up in the local area and we will be sharing some more official dates for those as we get a bit closer… but keep your eyes open for a Seedy Saturday happening in Cranbrook this month (follow the Cranbrook Produce Garden and the Cranbrook Public Library for more updates, including info on when the Cranbrook Seed Library will be available again) + there are plans for some seedy-ness to be included with an upcoming Tea Creek screening at Centre 64 that Sue-Anne at Strawberries and Sweetgrass Indigenous Food Systems and some Kimberley Cranbrook Food Network members are working on putting together + there will be a Seedy Saturday event happening in Kimberley in March at Lindsay Park School that Ashley at the Wildsight Kimberley Community Garden is working on finalizing some details for (so keep an eye out for all that & more)!

We hope you had a very merry holidays and a happy new year… and here's to another great year of #KimCranGrowTogether