… okras, and peppers too?”
This was the most popular question at a recent Seeding and Planting Workshop at St.Luke Lutheran Church in Surrey, BC.
How did you think I answered them?
“No, (meaning not so successfully but)…, well Yes, …it can be possible. I would say only under a plastic cover.”
St. Luke Lutheran Church had built new garden beds on their under-utilized back lawn in 2013, but didn’t have too many people using the plots. They also run an English Class that attracts people living in the surrounding neighbourhood. So then it clicked – how about inviting the people who are learning English to join the Community Garden and have a Garden Plot?
This was my first time teaching to people who’s main language was not English. These to-be Community Gardeners came out to my evening Workshop learning the basics of sowing seeds and claimed their Garden Plot for the year. We at A Rocha also had extra veggie seeds and wanted to share them with Gardens in our Network.
In hindsight, what would’ve been better was more teaching time outside, allowing time to tending their plots, weeding and planting new seeds. Learning by doing is probably best! I would’ve loved to have them share more about their existing knowledge of growing food, any special techniques they knew and also what foods they generally like to make at home. Nonetheless, we got some weeding and seeding done outside that evening before the rain started pouring down!
Here are the seedlings I brought to show as one way of pre-starting seeds. The Garden Coordinators of St.Luke Church did later tell me that most of these new Community Gardeners were from Iraq, here as refugees. There were also two newly immigrated women from Southern China who brought their young children too. This is one worthwhile goal of the ministry of Community Gardening in urban settings; gardening as a great way to include people from other cultures and geo-political backgrounds to be a part of your Community!
