This summer has been a busy one in the Riley Park Community Garden! Being our inaugural season, there have been many moving parts in developing this project and creating the space. Some highlights from the past couple of months:

·      Our official opening day on June 24th that brought many community members of all backgrounds growing together

·      The tribute to Ed Shum: a lifelong gardener and friend of the garden

·      Enjoying our open-door work parties in the sunshine alongside the Riley Park Farmer’s Market (ice coffee and BC berries within arm’s reach is always a plus!)

·      Building accessible garden beds to ensure that every body is able to work in the garden

·      The Four Corners ceremony led by First Nations Elder Amy and creating a medicine wheel plant circle

·      Watching all our garden member groups grow edible plants, some of which will be donated to people in need

·      Workshops by the Vancouver Meet-Up Group and the New Gardeners Group, teaching everything from planning a food garden, to companion planting, to growing edible flowers!

·      The “Plein Air” art event at the garden, encouraging community members to unleash their creativity while enjoying the outdoors

·      Picnics in the Park: bringing Chinese-speaking senior residents from Little Mountain Court for a picnic and chats in the garden

·      The Latino Watering Night Cookout, which featured a veggie BBQ with donated produce from the Riley Park Farmer’s Market and live music!

·      Our Syrian Newcomer Potluck lunch which gathered Syrian families involved with the garden and their friends, as well as other community members who contributed dishes from several cultures

Stay tuned for further updates via our Facebook page and/or signing up for the newsletter on this website!