They call themselves The Bloomers; a group of a dozen condominium members at Aqua Vista, which is situated in King’s Wharf on the waterfront in Dartmouth, NS. Together, they took charge of the planters around the exterior of their building and created a whole new look.
In the spring of 2022, resident Claudia Hynes sent me an email asking if I’d be willing to offer some advice on their building’s planting predicaments. As Claudia explains, “We had incredible greenspace that was underdeveloped, and saw an opportunity to increase curb appeal while enjoying the love of gardening.”
The conversation had begun the summer before, when the perfunctory work done by a previous maintenance company had been less than inspiring. Those planters were a bit improved by the secret help (at the time) of Steve Graham, one of the condo owners at Aqua Vista, who watered and fertilized the annuals to give them a better chance at survival. To him, and many of the condo residents, those planters were an embarrassment, and there was plenty of discussion about how to improve the view for the future.
The Aqua Vista Bloomers are a group of condo residents who took gardening into their own hands and made something beautiful.
There are condo residents at Aqua Vista who were willing to offer their time and talent, often because they missed the gardening they had enjoyed pre-condo life. In November of 2021, the residents had their annual board election and those who became directors were supportive of tapping into the time and talents of neighbours to take charge. They were paying $4,000-plus yearly for “gardening” and were sure they could do better for less.
There are ten generous-sized planters in front of Aqua Vista, which in spring of 2022 housed a variety of straggly shrubs and the remains of the previous year’s annuals. Now, those planters are packed with healthy, thriving plants: landscape roses, tough dwarf Alberta spruce, and brilliant annuals to provide some immediate gratification. Around the sides of the building are more planters, with easy-care and tidy shrubs, some perennials to attract pollinators, and more annuals. There’s a herb garden inside the gates by the pool, and plans for more development for next year, too.
How did a dozen stalwart enthusiasts transform their space from almost embarrassing to inspiring? As one member observed, the biggest challenge to taking on the project was finding someone to step forward to lead the project and create a plan. Claudia Hynes says she contacted a neighbour to ask if he’d co-chair a gardening committee. He travels for work so wouldn’t be available much during the summer, but would do what he could, and “just knowing I had him to call on was all I really needed.”
Steve Graham says, “As a relatively new condo owner who had been an avid gardener all my life, I was struggling with nothing to consume my time. And due to the COVID lockdown, we did not have much of a chance to make new friends in the building before this.” He adds that getting involved a great way to get his hands back in the ground, but also a terrific social activity for all who took part in the rebuild.
They started planning on paper early in the spring. After much consultation, Claudia wrote up a proposal asking the board for a financial commitment of less than they had previously been paying yearly for “landscaping maintenance.” Claudia contacted me and I came and saw the spaces, made some plant recommendations, and encouraged the group in their endeavours. That was all the motivation they needed.
Work began on the revamping project in May, with the removal of some of the ailing plants from the front planters. There were overgrown euonymuses and hostas, which the team dug out, pruned, and relocated to an underused site on the side of the building, out of direct sun and wind. Each of the front planters then had their potting medium refreshed and were each planted with a dwarf Alberta spruce and two landscape roses. Once the risk of frost was past, Steve Graham added a variety of colourful annuals, including geraniums, lantana, and verbena.
In early autumn, the annuals were composted, and the Bloomers added a rainbow of bulbs to those planters, including crocus, tulips, mixed daffodils, and hyacinths. The group also tucked garlic into the herb garden and planned to bring some of the more tender herbs indoors for the winter, placing them in a public space for all to enjoy.
The biggest challenge, as summer unfolded and looking towards the future, was to make the project sustainable, especially as COVID restrictions relaxed and residents started to travel again. They wanted to avoid volunteer burnout. They set it up so the building’s superintendent does the watering three times a week, but members of the Bloomers also do supplemental watering, plus weeding, deadheading of spent flowers and feeding as needed.
The proof of the pudding, they say, is in the tasting—or in this case, in the responses from resident owners and passersby alike. The gardening gang have received many positive comments from area residents walking by when they are out working, and as one member observed, “the project also helps with team building and creates a sense of community among residents.”
As one of the Bloomers observes, “When you create a visibly improved space, it creates a sense of community in your building and in the broader community. It is in some ways infections: when others see the improvement, they in turn think about what they can do where they live.”
The Bloomers even gave themselves a slogan that sums them up nicely: “Aqua Vista Bloomers—a place where neighbours can grow community.”