Powell River's Second Annual Edible Garden Tour

On Sunday, August 8th, 2010, many people from the Powell River area were treated to Powell River's Second Annual Edible Garden Tour!  What a great way to see how other people in our community are producing some of their own food. 

Garden #1:  Heinz Becker produces edible produce year-round in a beautiful, but challenging, garden built on rocks, with limited sunlight and visits from local wildlife! 

Garden #2  Will Langlands & Nicole Narbonne used a permaculture model when developing their lush 2500-square foot vegetable garden.  In addition, they raise chickens and bees, cultivate berries and planted a small orchard. 

Garden #3:  Doug Brown's (future home of Wildwood U-Pick) initial goal was to produce all the veggies and fruit that would meet his families needs for an entire year.  He also enjoys growing some of the more uncommon fruits, like the Tibetan Goji berry, and veggies. 

Garden #4  Jennifer Dodd created her first-year garden with the intent of providing enough produce for her family for the summer as well as for canning.  She is using the principles of square foot gardening and succession planting in a small space. 

Garden #5  Elaine Steiger's small garden is producing peas, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, various brassicas, and pole beans.  Her new, large garden has potatoes, peas, bush and pole beans and a green manure crop started of oats and buckwheat. 

Garden #6  Rosie Fleury's garden produces a full season of greens, herbs, veggies, berries, mingled with many varieties of perennial and annual flowers for cut flower bouquets.  She uses the principles of square foot gardening, composting, and crop rotation to increase her harvest yields. 

Garden #7  Connie Thurber's main goal is to grow year-round greens and use space efficiently.  She uses rebar to 'grow up'.  Connie, working with other people, has created blackberry trails through her property.  What fun! 

Garden #8  The Seventh Day Adventist Shared Community Garden offers members of the community an opportunity to grow food.  In addition, the Sprouts program, run through Family Place, has been donated a significant space to grow food for their healthy snack initiative.  Participants help to plant, weed, and water and, in turn, receive a portion of the harvest. 

A small play area for children occupies a corner of the garden. 

Garden #9  The staff and volunteers at the Community Resource Centre's three-year-old demonstration garden organically produce a variety of veggies in raised beds.  There are compost and vermicompost bins and a new small greenhouse.  The Hen House, with its colourful occupants, is an interesting addition. 

Garden #10  Hana-Louise Braun is using lasagna gardening techniques, mulching, and cover crops, like buckwheat and clover, to build soil so that she can eat from her garden year-round.  She intends to save lots of seeds for herself and others. 

Such a pleasant way to spend a sunny August day.  I highly recommend everyone participate in Powell River's Third Annual Edible Garden Tour next year! 

The Edible Garden Tour is brought to you by the Powell River Food Security Project, which is funded by Vancouver Coastal Health.