In the community of Montgomery, Gerald Lajeunesse is bringing the funk to gardening. 



A garden of food greets you as you enter Gerald's yard. In the front yard there is nanking cherries which Gerald likes eating as is and also likes using them to make into jam. Also right next to the sidewalk are white raspberries. They look orange to me, but they are delicious. Passersby are treated to fruit.

Gerald says that kids like to run up and down the ramp pathway from the sidewalk. There is a chalkboard for the kids to write on, right behind the false doorway.

Going through the saloon style swing gates makes entering the yard fun. Once in it feels like you have left Calgary and entered a camp ground. There is no lawn to be found. Only art and gardens.



Gerald gardens and his son Mikhail does the art. Though Gerald says that garden is art.

Gerald says the neighbours like his garden, though he thinks that some wish he would just replace it and put in a manicured green lawn.

Gerald doesn't have a favourite food in his garden, he likes everything. He loves to cook ingredients fresh from the garden.



The garden bug didn't hit Gerald till he was 30 years old. As a teacher by profession, gardening is a great hobby in the summer time.

Woofers come and stay with Gerald during the summer. About 5 to 6 do so each year. Woofers tend the garden for food and board.

There are rain barrels everywhere. Some are painted like the one below. On this rainy day they are filling up quickly.

What does Gerald think of Farmers' Markets? "It would be great if there were really farmers at farmers' markets. Most of the vendors are selling pizza and popcorn".

Gerald eats most of what he grows. He gives away the rest. In his garden there is chard, kale, beets, carrots, strawberries, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, peas, onions, and more. While I was visiting, Gerald was picking mint. After he dries the mint, he uses it in his tea.

The greenhouse was made from wood from a 100 year old garage. Gerald is in the process of building another greenhouse, along with a shed to store his produce and seeds. In the shed he is installing a compost toilet too. Of note, according to Gerald compost toilets are legally allowed in the city as long as there is one flush toilet in your house.



In the back alley, Mikhail painted the fence, while Gerald planted raspberries.

Gerald has another garden plot near Shouldice Park. It is a shared garden, so whoever helps tend the garden gets to have some of the fruits of their labour. Unfortunately at the shared garden someone is ripping off beets and carrots. He thinks he knows the culprit. Jokingly Gerald says, "I don't wish him ill will, I just hope he dies".  

When asked what he is trying to communicate through his garden, Gerald says, "I want to turn people onto gardening. I want to see gardening without lawns, that's all I care about".