Garibaldi School Garden

You are warmly invited to the Bee Appreciation Learning Party on Saturday, June 27th from 10am to noon! Brought to you by your neighbours who participate in the Sustainable Living Arts School.

Come to the whole learning party or join us for a picnic afterwords in Clinton Park. We’ll be stopping by Garibaldi garden as well as other neighbourhood gardens to learn about how we can make the Garibaldi neighbourhood friendly to bees. Why? Because we all like to eat! Children are very welcome to come with their grown-ups.

To find out more about this learning party and the Sustainable Living Arts School: http://slas.ca/2009/06/19/you-are-invited-to-a-bee-appreciation-learning-party/

To register: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/369963571

Suggested donation: $25.  Donate generously- learning parties are 100% participant supported. Yeah!

In the beginning there was a learning party to share ideas for the garden.  Robin Wheeler, who runs an edible landscape nursery, founded the Sustainable Living Arts School, writes books like Gardening for the Faint of Heart and Food Security for the Faint of Heart led the session. We started with a walk around the garden site in the snow, then came back to my house for tea and map-making.

The kids are fierce about garden design

One of the designs.

Robin urged us to think about berries, herbs for tea that kids will like, and plants that kids like to touch, smell and taste.

A couple of weeks later some boxes arrived.

The first of many work parties.

The home learners stopped by after class and helped to make the central mound- where we now have a little butternut tree.

More child labour.

The city sings with summer. Ecstatic flowers sting the air with perfume.
Sun hats, bare legs, watermelon seeds scatter and the kids are already
clambouring for beach time.
It was a long winter, complete with snow. April arrived with a farewell sprinkling of white.
So when May opened up with it’s characteristic warmth, we rejoiced duly!
And now the optimism required while sowing peas in March pays off.
Beans and peas shimmy up trellises and fences. Tomatoes perk with yellow flowers;
kale waves it’s crooked edged leaves in the June breeze and blossoms of blueberries and raspberries litter the bushes on my wooly, glorious backyard.

In another garden, not so far away, a young butternut tree stands newly planted.
Some young children stood around it,giving it blessings and making wishes.
Come visit this new beauty in our midst.
Share the magic of the Garibaldi Garden.
Bring a book, spread out a picnic blanket.
Listen to the rustling of leaves.
Peek at what is popping up, notice what needs a little care.
Dig a little dirt or give it a drink.