ELM Report – June

ELM REPORT – JUNE NEWSLETTER
We made it to the end of April despite many days of below seasonal temperatures and significant
dumps of snow this month. Looking at it from the bright side, it still added some much-needed moisture
to the soil! Talking about soil, did you know that Calgary residents can get free compost from the City of
Calgary? What is compost? Compost is a soil amendment that helps to improve the health of lawns,
flower beds and gardens. Compost is 100% natural and made up of the food scraps, leaves, branches,
and yard waste collected through the Green Cart program. Compost must be mixed with soil – it is not a
replacement for soil. Benefits of compost:
 Enhances soil structure 
 Increases soil nutrient content
 Uses less water through greater moisture retention
 Improves plant health
The city makes the free compost available to Calgary residents from April 25 to June 11, 2022, by
appointment only. Also available at the Shepard landfill in the south, the nearest pick-up location for
Edgemont residents is at the Spyhill landfill; however, you will need to book an appointment online and
provide personal details to pick up your compost. Be prepared to bring a shovel and a container for the
compost. If you are loading directly into a truck bed, the city suggests you bring a tarp to line your truck
bed. For FULL DETAILS, please check the website of the City of Calgary. Search the website for “Green
Cart compost giveaway”. Need mulch? It’s available at the East Calgary landfill. Again, the website of
the City of Calgary has a wealth of information about compost, mulch and how to do your own
composting.
On a different note, when you read this report in the June Newsletter, the summer arrangements in the
planters and parks may have started to arrive and hopefully the weather is conducive this year to
transitioning the new plants to the planters smoothly. Last year, the plants needed a little time to adapt
because of the very warm weather during planting. Don’t be alarmed if the planters don’t immediately
look their best; they will adapt before too long and just need a bit of transition time.
If the weather continues to warm up a little, you may be in the mood to give your fence a little touch up
too. As in 2021, the Spyhill Cloverdale Paint store will once more give a significant discount to Edgemont
residents who decide to do some fence painting. A new colour swatch is available at the ECA for colour
matching. See the ECA website for details.
if you see anything suspicious happening with the planters or the flowers in our Edgemont parks, please
contact ELM via email right away with details at [email protected]
Kathleen Stewart, Rick Wierzbicki, Shari Pitka.