Sunshine Garden of Fruit Valley

We finally started! On Sunday February 15th we broke ground on the garden that will hopefully shape Fruit Valley. I have the blueprint of it (it's a sunrise) and we started stringing the outline and then I had to rip out some shrubs. Oh, the shrubs. Sometimes I think people get grossly overpaid to landscape. I am certainly no genius but I know enough that you don't plant a tree next to a porch and virtually on top of the gutter, but it will go too. Yesterday I finished the outline and today I was planning on putting down cardboard to kill the grass below. The groundhog says six more weeks of winter so I have plenty of time. Right. But down with the cardboard and leaves that were so graciously donated to me. It is fun to watch the people walk by and wonder what we are doing; a sacrificial altar perhaps? Some have stopped by to talk and some just keep on going. No problem, I will try and recruit them later in the season. There is no point in burning people out this early. The dogs are intrigued by it but mostly bored with the idea of being tied to a giant screw in the ground and limited to their leash length. Eh, they'll get over it.

So with this post I am asking for help. To the citizens of Vancouver : I need leaves, cardboard, hay, wood, stone, pebbles and pretty much anything I can build something with. Also I will at some point have to grow stuff so I am open to donations of bulbs, herbs, veggies, flowers and any plant that is edible. There will be a "Row for the Hungry" which will be donated to the food banks and shelters in the area. This is a community garden. I want to get the community involved. Call it what you will but in the end it is a catalyst for change. Wanna know where your food REALLY comes from? Stop by and see.

Hope

My partner, Lisa and I bought our first house in September. Last year was a whirlwind of things for the both of us. We saw our friends’ businesses flourish, fostered some greyhounds and learned how to prioritize. We LOVE our house. Love it. The front yard is a canvas waiting to be created. After thinking it over for about 5 seconds we decided we would turn it into a garden. The whole yard. I am aware that this economy is the worst it has been in decades — certainly the worst I have seen so what better time to grow a neighborhood garden? What if everyone who wanted to help came over and helped? In return they would get fresh organic vegetables, flowers and whatever else they needed for that week. Then I thought, what if I could teach them how to cook these beautiful things in something other than a stir-fry? What if we could make a family recipe night where the kids could be involved? A neighborhood kitchen? As Lisa so sincerely puts it “cookin’ in the Hood”. We live in a lower income neighborhood that is destined for greatness in the next few years. That’s what my Realtor said. Right, Susie? So these are the people who really need this kind of bonding. We are totally excited and can hardly wait for the weather to get nice.

We are both taking classes on how to be “Urban Farmers”. Our friends, Kendra and Toree hold these most valuable classes through their business, Urban Farm School. They are so full of energy, knowledge and patience. I highly recommend checking out the classes and attending the ones that interest you the most. I am taking almost all of them and look forward to every one.

Yes, new things are on the horizon for myself and for Lisa. The future looks better everyday. Hope, strength, compassion and love will set the stage for things to come.