Buena Vista Boulevard Garden
The Buena Vista Boulevard Garden is a community-nurtured growing space for everyone to enjoy. We are respectfully located on Treaty 6 territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis.
Our vision is for a sanctuary of native and edible plants where everyone can find joy and connection. We aim to reflect the diversity and character of our unique neighbourhood by empowering all Buena Vista residents to actively contribute to the garden that benefits all.
Everyone is welcome! The garden, plants and produce are for the whole community to enjoy.
Our plans for 2025 include continuing to nurture and expand our native plant garden, new raised garden boxes built by a community member, potatoes, corn and squash, and the kid favourites – pole beans and peas. We will be adding some larger native fruit shrubs – saskatoon and high bush cranberry and, in the fall, we will be welcoming some trees to the garden!
We are always looking for volunteers who are interested in participating – whether you have no gardening experience or are an expert gardener. We love to learn from each other.
For more information, you can email buenavistagardencollective@gmail.com, or find us on social media!
Instagram: Buena Vista Garden Collective
Facebook: Buena Vista Garden Collective
The boulevard garden is registered with the City of Saskatoon’s Boulevard Garden program, is certified by the Wild About Saskatoon’s Pollinator Paradise program, and is supported by a Butterfly Way Ranger from the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterfly Way program.
Our History
The project to transform the boulevard on McPherson Ave between 5th and 6th street started in the spring of 2022 when a group of community members, supported by the Buena Vista Community Association and newly designated nature-based Buena Vista School, removed grass from a sixteen by two meter section of the boulevard to plant flowers and grasses native to Saskatchewan. In the fall, we used donated leaves and wood chips and compost from the City to begin preparing an extended planting area.
In 2023, with a grant from the City of Saskatoon, we added two permanent water sources and expanded the garden to the telephone pole. We featured a herb spiral, peas and pole beans, zucchini, squash, potatoes and other produce, and started asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries, strawberries and other perennials. We included a little library built by a community member and compost bins from Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council. And we expanded our native plant garden.
The garden expansion continued in 2024 to take over the entire boulevard. We planted a wider variety of fruit bearing shrubs, expanded the native plant garden further and continued to grow a variety of produce – potatoes, squash, pumpkins, beans, peas and so much more! We added a beautiful new sign, a second little library and picnic table built in our community and expanded the seating areas.
2022
The Buena Vista Boulevard Garden, ready to mulch, in early summer 2022. Credit: Amy Nixon
The garden after mulching and planting. Credit Meghan Mickelson.
The garden blooming with native flowers and grasses in late summer 2022. Photo Credit: Leisha Grebinski.
Hyssop late summer 2022. Photo Credit: Leisha Grebinski.
2023-2024
Herb spiral established in 2023, with original native plant garden in the background. Mid-summer 2023. Photo credit: Amy Nixon
A sample of garden produce. Fall 2023 and 2024. Photo credits: Amy Nixon
A sample of garden produce. Fall 2023 and 2024. Photo credits: Amy Nixon
The garden has taken over the whole boulevard! Potatoes, raised beds for veggies, and a border of native grasses along the new sidewalk. The original native plant bed is at the far end of the garden, behind the water tank. Early summer 2024. Photo credit: Leisha Grebinski.