Montreal boroughs are helping residents spruce up their gardens by distributing free plants and soil this spring. Personal balconies and communal green spaces can benefit from the program that requires participants to show a proof of residency, like public utility account or driver's license, to take advantage of a seasonal perk.
From Verdun to the Plateau, Montreal is distributing flowers, herb plants, seeds, and essential gardening supplies like compost and wood chips — all at no cost. The items are available on a self-serve basis, and residents mustbring their own shovels, wheelbarrows, and containers to transport the goods home.
The initiative is meant to beautify personal space but also encourages sustainable practices by giving Montrealers the means to enhance their environment. While the program is open to all residents of participating boroughs, quantities are limited, so early attendance is advised.
Whether you're looking to start a vegetable garden or simply add a touch of nature to your surroundings, this is an opportunity to do so without the cost. Depending on where you live, here are some places to start:
Anjou
People shovel compost into bins in Anjou.
Arrondissement d'Anjou | Facebook
When/Where:
- May 9, from 9 a.m. | Parc Lucie-Bruneau, 7051, ave. de l'Alsace
- May 10, from 9 a.m. | Parc Roger-Rousseau7501, ave. Rondeau
- May 11, from 9 a.m. | Parc des Roseraies, 7070, ave. de la Nantaise
What you can get: Free compost made from garden waste and dead leaves gathered via green waste collections.
More at montreal.ca
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Seedlings in pots along a ledge.
Christinahswanson | Dreamstime
When: June 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m
Where:
What you can get: Free flowers, plants, compost and wood chips.
- Plants
- Snow Princess Marigolds
- Nasturtiums
- Cucumber plant
- Sweet red pepper plant
- Seeds
- Asclepias Incarnata
- Asclepias Syriaca
- Helliopsis Helianthoides
- Monarda Fistulosa
- Symphyotrichum Novae-Angliae
- Verbena Hastata
- Chamomile Matricaria recutita
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Lachine
A white flowering plant in fresh mulch.
When: May 4, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Centre technique de Lachine, 2200, rue Saint-Antoine
What you can get: Compost that comes from garden waste and fallen leaves picked up in green waste collections.
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Lasalle
Tree branches being loaded into a shredder for compost in Montreal.
When: May 11, 8:30 a.m to 3 p.m.
Where: Stationnement des ateliers municipaux André-Traversy, 7277, rue Cordner
What can you get: Free compost and wood chips.
More at montreal.ca
Outremont
Rows of orange potted flowers and green leafy plants.
Arrondissement d'Outremont | Facebook
When: June 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: 1311, ave. Saint-Viateur
What you can get: Free ornamental vines, herbs, flowers, vegetable plants, wood chips and compost, as well as gardening tips.
Pierrefonds-Roxboro
People line up along tents for free plants.
Courtesy of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
When: May 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: 4950, rue René-Émard
What you can get: Free vegetable and herb plants, including boxes of six vegetable and herb plants.
- Tagetes (edible flower useful for pollinators)
- Basil
- Swiss chard
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet pepper
- Parsley
- Strawberry plants for kids
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Plateau
Gomphrena purple flowers.
When: May 25, starting at 10:30 a.m.
Where:
- The House of Friendship: Duluth Avenue East, between Saint-Dominique and De Bullion streets
- La Maison d’Aurore: rue Garnier, between boulevard Saint-Joseph Est and rue Gilford
- Friends of the Champ des Possibles: Gaspé land, north of 5605 De Gaspé
What you can get: Free flowers, compost and mulch. You can pick one of the following plant combinations.
- Annuals 1
- Gomphrena (Las Vegas Purple)
- Salvia (Summer Jewel Lavender)
- Annuals 2
- Rudbeckia hirta (Prairie Sun)
- Verbena bonariensis (Buenos Aires)
- Perennials 1
- Asclepias incarnata
- Aster novae-angliae
- Perennials 2
- Anaphalis margaritacea
- Agastache foeniculum
Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles
Someone holding a pitchfork stands in the back of a truck filled with compost.
When: May 4
Where:
- 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Don-Bosco Park
- 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Parc de l'école secondaire de la Pointe-aux-Trembles, 15180, rue Sherbrooke Est
What you can get: Compost, wood chips and edible plants, but registration is required ahead of time here.
More at montreal.ca
Saint-Laurent
Basil plants.
When: May 11, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Boisé Library, 2727, boul. Thimens
What you can get: Free vegetable plants and seeds to start your own edible garden.
- 1 basil plant (Genovese and Crimson King Basil)
- 1 cherry tomato plant (Suncherry)
- 1 strawberry plant (Dynamik)
- 1 Lebanese cucumber plant (Magic)
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Saint-Léonard
A shovel filled with compost.
When: May 4, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: 9430, boul. Langelier
What you can get: Compost that comes from garden waste and dead leaves collected in green waste collections.
More at montreal.ca
Verdun
A shovel in compost.
Maison de l'environnement de Verdun | Facebook
When: May 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where:
- Verdun municipal greenhouses, 7000, boul. LaSalle
- Nun's Island Station, 201, rue Berlioz
What you can get: Free compost and mulch. Anyone bringing a car must register for a timeslot online ahead of time (here for the greenhouses and here for the station).
Ville-Marie
Pink petunias.
Courtesy of Ville-Marie.
When: May 18, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Where:
- Parc Prudence-Heward, 1531, rue Paxton (west part of the borough)
- Walter Stewart Park, 2455, rue Larivière (east part of the borough)
What you can get: Free flowers and herbs.
- Flowers
- Nasturtiums
- Knapweeds
- Coleus
- Marigolds
- Begonias
- Herbs and vegetable plants
- Basil
- Chives
- Mint
- Parsley
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby peppers
- Strawberries
More at montreal.ca
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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