Skip to content

Hope Community Garden has spaces

Green thumbs are cordially invited to check out available plots at the spacious and state of the art garden facility.
20497hopeFrontpageweb
Youngsters gathered during a work bee at Hope Community Garden on Friday. The impressive garden and greenhouse is currently looking for new members and to sell their available plots

It's that time of year again, and spring is right around the corner. There's still time to claim your space at Hope Community Garden. Outdoor plots are currently available at their state of the art facility. Plots were built in the new year by students from HSS who contributed by filling them with soil. These plots are up for grabs by all garden lovers.

The garden will be having an open house on Apr. 1 at 5 p.m., complete with a campfire experience where people can sign up for a membership and to buy their plots, while enjoying the extraordinary ambience of the space with other local green thumb enthusiasts.

Interested parties can also sign up through Hope Community Services. Registration is $25, and discounts are available for those seeking financial assistance which is also provided through community services.

A certain amount of volunteer hours will be expected of plot owners for maintenance on community areas. These lush and bountiful spaces are dedicated to numerous berries, which are home to a variety of delectable raspberry, rhubarb, and strawberry patches, as well as fruit trees according to Hope Community Garden Coordinator, Esther Brysch.

"It's hard work but it's a lot of fun," said Brysch of working together to keep the space up to snuff.

There is also an ongoing project with 293 Wallace Street, where an area is dedicated to growing vegetables for the restaurant, which is in line with their belief in providing locally grown produce with its delectable dishes.

Gorgeous Jerusalem artichokes are sold to the restaurant, as well as the extra parsley and lettuce from the garden. Money from this joint venture helps to procure fresh soil and new boxes for the space.

The garden is also looking for someone in the community who is able to donate horse or chicken manure to help with costs, and also anyone with extra garden tools kicking around that need a new home.

A growing number of members (there are currently 28) are contributing to the flourishing community garden, as they get together for work bees, and to collaborate on projects that involve tasks such as watering and weeding. Communities in Bloom is one of many contributors who were able to help put bathroom facilities on site.

“We donate to the Food Bank, the Thunderbird Motel and for the lunch program at Coquihalla school through HSS foods teacher Jeremy Smith — we all try to connect with each other,” said Brysch.

All interested parties are invited to contact Esther at 604-869-7432, or Community Services at 604-869-2466 for more information and to register.