Neighbourhoods across Victoria are planting the seeds they received from the city’s Get Growing, Victoria program that started today (July 26).
Get Growing supports and encourages residents to grow vegetation in their own backyards and community gardens. Partnering with non-profit organizations, this endeavor distributes seedlings to residents who face barriers to growing their own food.
This summer, distribution will contain seeds for fall and winter crops, including broccoli, bok choy, swiss chard, kale, radicchio, kohlrabi, peas, cabbage, lettuce and parsley.
“We have a really great garden and live off our garden in the summertime,” said Gregory Shea, a Victoria resident who biked to the first event at the Quadra Village Community Centre and picked up a pea plant.
“I’m hoping they reach out to people with a lower economic background because, you know, we’re middle class people. Hopefully they can get the news out to people,” said Shea. “I was a member of a community garden in Vancouver for many years and there’s a lot of single parents. We had a great community there, but now we were fortunate enough to get our own place here, but the community gardens are amazing places too. Hopefully people can take advantage of them.”
The summer distribution will run from July 26 to Aug. 13, and be at the following locations on these days:
- Yates Street Community Garden on July 26, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for downtown
- Fernwood Community Centre on July 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for Fernwood
- Vic West Community Centre on July 28, 10 a.m. to noon for Vic West
- Oaklands Community Centre on July 29, 10 a.m. to noon for Oaklands
- Franklin Green on July 29, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for North Park
- Burnside Community Centre on Aug. 3, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for Burnside
- Robert Porter Park on Aug. 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Fairfield
- Redfern Park on Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for Jubilee
- Government House on Aug. 10, 10 a.m. to noon for Rockland
- Irving Park on Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to noon for James Bay
According to the City of Victoria, partner organizations support communities directly through their programs. Some programs use horticultural therapy, which use plants and plant-related activities to promote health and wellness. One of the ways they do this is through gardening and food access programs for community kitchens that support people with disabilities.