a year of living differently: it takes a community...

they say it takes a village to raise a child - it then must take a community to raise a really good garden...

there are 5 community gardens within 4 blocks of my home: some are brand new, some have been growing & transforming over the last several years. they are city projects, private endeavours and one is just locals grabbing a piece of ground & making something out of it...

i have been planning to do this story for ages (last week i managed to leave home without an card in my camera) - but we went today (the only rainy day in the last two months!) the first garden is a land grab - neighbours who have collected bricks & rocks & soil & have planted both fruits & veg as well as decorative plants under the burrard street bridge. they are tenacious - as are their plants.

the second is omni's land (developers) - they had planned to develop the land before the economic crisis hit (numerous real estate projects halted in vancouver). they have cleared & tilled the land & put in boxes & allowed the community to take over (as an aside, there is a mural painted all along one wall - part of the granville street bridge) so it makes for a bright spot!

the third on our tour is the city's endeavour (& the newest to the westend). a newly vacant lot has been transformed into a literal oasis. there are thousands of tomatoes alone - i have heard people wonder aloud 'why don't the homeless just take these?' - i believe, just given the community we live in & the idea this type of garden promotes - that the tomato owners would not mind if those who needed them most just helped themselves.

the fourth is a stunning centerpiece to one of the coolest co-op communities in the city. a collection of heritage houses has been transformed & the land that runs between & around them is garden - kitchen gardens, bee gardens, fruit trees etc. it is one of the best examples of 'community' i have seen. i love to walk through their back lane - sometimes sit on a bench & just listen to the kids & birds.

across from the mole hill co-op is nelson park - the city has recently redone the park (i'm not completely sure why) but the upshot is there is a new section (just half of the length of the park) that is run by the community. this is a truly lovely collection of gardens - very creative - bamboo & driftwood fences & stone walkways.