A grassroots community group has planted an autumn seed with West Kelowna council, hoping the idea will sow a new community garden in Rose Valley by spring.

The Rose Valley Community Garden Society went before council this week, seeking endorsement to create 28 plots, ranging in size from six to nine-square-metres, in a municipal park on Rose Meadow Drive.

However, unlike West Kelowna’s first community garden in Westbank, which opened to the general public last year, the Rose Valley project would have a narrower scope, according to society member Jan Bath.

“One of our criteria for accepting members is going to be that we give preference to those people in the Rose Valley area.”

The neighbourhood-specific focus was one reason the Rose Valley group chose to pursue its garden independent of the existing Central Okanagan Community Gardens Society, which was a driving force behind the Westbank garden and six others in Kelowna and Lake Country.

“Their objectives are a little broader than what we are hoping to accomplish. We certainly could have done it under that framework. We just felt that it would be easier in this manner,” he commented.

That’s not to say the regional organization will be snubbed.

“We hope to, in the future, have a very tight working relationship with them.”

The estimated cost to create Rose Valley’s community garden is $12,000. The society has raised approximately $4,000 so far, according to Bath.

With West Kelowna council’s endorsement of the project, the group can take fundraising a step further, he mentioned.

“Once we’ve got council’s official approval we can start moving forward more aggressively. We hope to get some corporate sponsorships.”

The society may also ask council for a grant-in-aid for a portion of the funds, said Bath.

As for the proposed location, supporter Heather Doheny said Rose Meadow park is a perfect place for a community garden.

“There’s a portion of (the park) that’s unused. (The garden) is a buffer zone between (a) gravel pit below and the landscaped area of the park. It’s a perfect size area too to do a small community garden.”

Doheny currently uses the Westbank garden, but admits the Rose Valley location would be much easier for her to access.

“It’s on my street, what can I say. And, I’m a master gardener; so, the opportunity to be able to help (neighbourhood) families be successful in their gardening endeavours is a huge thing.”

Bath was hoping some construction on the garden could begin this fall; however, it’s more likely that work will begin in spring because of some outstanding issues, which were raised during this week’s council meeting.

Mayor Doug Findlater called the garden a great idea, but expressed his caution.

“I think it does have some budget implications, both short term and long term, that we need to look at,” continued Findlater.