Spring Fling

The big red A at Victoria Drive and Hull was even more lively than usual on Saturday May 23, as the Cedar Cottage Garden launched its annual Spring Fling fundraiser.

Cease Wyss, a member of the Skxwu7mesh and Sto:lo Nations and an active participant in the garden, opened the event with a traditional song of welcome.

Visitors were invited to tour the garden accompanied by Jill Dalton, who pointed out over-wintered spinach with leaves as big as your head and red clover brighter than a Pantone colour. Local musicians played on the plaza stage. Faune fired up audience creativity with a poetry contest. A friend bought several tomato plants at the plant sale and there were kids activities too, like the simple art of chaining daisies.

It's hard to imagine that just over a year ago this vibrant green community space was a place of trepidation; hidden from the road and littered with trash and needles. New garden plots have just been built, bringing the total to 59. Contact us if you live in the neighbourhood and need a place to grow!

Pictured from top left going clock-wise: Cease Wyss, garden plot, Whitney Peterson of the band Soft Serve, a young gardener, Spring Fling MC: Leslie Kemp a garden member, Jil Dalton, salad greens, the new beds and young apple tree, red clover. Centre: the big red A, gateway to the garden.

Autumn Celebration at Cedar Cottage Garden

At Cedar Cottage Garden, we have placed gravel in the pathways between our new garden beds to provide drainage of water between garden beds. On Sunday Sept 21, as the leaves fall and the winter vegetables start to grow, we will be dancing and stomping down the gravel pathways between the garden beds.

Please join us with some musical instruments to get those feet moving in the garden pathways!

Cedar Cottage Garden is located at Victoria and Hull St, under the SkyTrain.

Community Kitchen Success at Trout Lake

There is something new brewing at Trout Lake Community Centre...! A group of 15 people from the Trout Lake neighbourhood have been meeting monthly to develop their cooking skills together, in a social atmosphere. Many of the participants met while using the Food Bank Depot at Trout Lake Community Centre.

Tenny Bache, the volunteer coordinator of the Community Kitchen at Trout Lake, says "we focus on cooking new and interesting recipies that are affordable and healthy. We have cooked all types of food - we choose recipies as a group while we eat together at the end of each kitchen." They have gotten together 3 times and the upcoming Kitchen session will end with a picnic by the lake!

The Kitchen is supported by Vancouver Coastal Health and Fresh Choice Kitchens, and there has been so much interest in the Kitchen that they are looking to set up another one. If you would like to volunteer to start up and new community kitchen in Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage, contact tlccfoodsecurity@gmail.com

Open Stage at Cedar Cottage Garden

Shadows and shapes make their way
Under the skytrain tracks, to the big Red "A"
Complete strangers coming together
Each with our own reasons to dream
About growing food in this place
We are fighting against frustration and learning about patience
Understanding that it takes just as long to build community
As it does to make a garden.

The 2nd monday of each month is Open Stage at Cedar Cottage Garden. Bring a poem, song or story to share: 6-8 pm, everyone is welcome!

EPiCENTER! A great success at Commercial Drive Car Free Festival

Volunteers served up loving spoonfuls of "stone soup" at the Car Free Festival on Sunday June 15th at Commercial Drive. This free meal was a delicious example of the wonderful creations that can occur when many members of the community contributes something small, like a carrot or cabbage.

There were also demonstrations on worm composting and small space gardening, brought to you by the Trout Lake Food Security Network. Thanks to everyone involved!

The next Network meeting will be on Monday June 23rd, from 6 -8 pm at the Trout Lake Community Centre, in the Boardroom.