Sole's Street Gardens

​Sole's Street Gardens is a grassroots movement on a mission to build beautiful green spaces around Nova Scotia, Canada, by clearing, planting, and caring for gardens in abandoned municipal areas. This city beautification process creates a community for neighbors to come together and appreciate green space.

The Problem:

I live in affordable housing for seniors, and we are surrounded by concrete buildings with very little green space. To bring extra life to my neighborhood, in 2015, I began cultivating gardens in the area known as a "road verge" (the municipal land between the sidewalk and the street).

The problem I am solving is two-fold: First, people in cities often have unequal green space access; some neighborhoods have well-kept gardens, while others are forgotten and neglected. This lack of green spaces in certain neighborhoods is problematic, especially for older people who may have difficulty traveling to gardens. People in the city are often withdrawn from nature and can benefit therapeutically when they experience pockets of green.

Second, I have recognized how isolating the elder experience can be, particularly for those in affordable housing. Building a meaningful and close-knit community is challenging for older people due to physical or psychological limitations, which the global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated over the past two years. Isolation has a serious effect on mental and physical health, and according to the APA, social isolation is directly linked to adverse health consequences such as depression, poor sleep quality, and accelerated cognitive decline.

The Solution:

Sole's Street Gardens addresses these problems by creating accessible green spaces for a larger set of communities to enjoy. Gardening serves as a common ground in which people of all backgrounds can participate.

This added green space is greatly appreciated by the community. Neighbors stop to admire the plants and flowers, take pictures and talk with each other. I have even witnessed friendships develop over the communal green space.

Even from inside an apartment, these gardens make an impact. During the pandemic shutdown, these gardens were immensely appreciated by the seniors in my building who would admire them from the safety of their apartment windows.

Additionally, these urban gardens make an important environmental contribution to local wildlife, especially bees whose population is threatened due to climate change.

The Process:

This is a project of love, and personally, I greatly benefit from the peace and balance this gardening process brings me. It is a meditative practice that begins in my apartment during the Spring, with the indoor sprouting of seeds. Once the sprouts are strong enough to grow outside, I cultivate the sidewalk verges, plant each sprout carefully, and pay attention to the daily needs of these plants. While working in the garden I enjoy connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds who stop to chat.

I am seeking funding...

With your help, I hope to expand my reach by creating more gardens around neglected areas of Halifax and continue to keep Sole's Street Gardens flourishing. I am seeking funding to access seeds, bulbs, organic fertilizers, and mulching material as well as tools like wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes. Since I am getting old myself, I would also like to hire helpers, preferably unemployed immigrants and refugees from the settlement organization where I work as an ESL (English as a Second Language) interpreter. Since I do not own a car, I would like to also have access to taxis for transporting materials when needed.

Thank you for your support!

I wish to express my gratitude in advance for your generosity. On behalf of all of us (the birds, bees, butterflies, and the people in my community), I would like to thank you for helping to create beauty in the midst of a chaotic world.

About me:

My name is Soledad Gonzalez and I was born and raised in Santiago, Chile. I left Chile when I was fifteen years old and lived in the United States for nine years until I immigrated to Canada where I live today. I have three children and five grandchildren. At the young age of 65, I retired after spending the majority of my life doing counseling and adult education in connection with domestic violence and sexual abuse prevention. I am 74 now and work part-time as an ESL (English as a Second Language) interpreter for Spanish-speaking immigrants in Canada. I love to garden, bicycle, read, play music, and hang out with my family.

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