It’s really encouraging to hear that the Lake Cowichan community garden will survive the Centennial Park renovations.
The move will be a difficult one for the garden, particularly since spring is really the best time to try to move plants.
Ideally, you want them to get a good foothold, or roothold, before they face freezing temperatures and the inclement weather of winter.
But trying to do it during the midsummer heat would have been worse, and would likely have resulted in an even higher mortality rate for the plants.
It’s unfortunate that the move is necessary, but the Lake Cowichan community as a whole should be proud of the way this situation and the challenge it presents has been accepted.
It is the can-do and will-do attitude that makes us certain the new community garden will be an unqualified success.
Instead of hand-wringing, after the initial shock, sadness and anger dissipated, everyone banded together and figured out a way to pitch in.
This included several Lake Cowichan businesses that deserve accolades for stepping up to make the process a lot less painful and a lot less expensive.
The Town of Lake Cowichan, too, is supporting the garden, acknowledging its importance to the community.
Which is what it all comes down to. All of these people, from dedicated gardeners to businesspeople to town officials, recognize the benefit of having a place where people in the community can grow their own food.
Growing our own food will only become more important in the years to come.
Drought in California, where we get much of our produce, is set to send prices sky high, which will impact everyone, but especially those on a limited income.
Providing garden space can be an important component of improving community health by giving access to inexpensive, healthy food.
All someone has to do is put in the work to grow it.
Gardening is a great stress reducer as well.
With what we have seen so far of the willingness of town residents to support each other, we have no doubt the community garden, in its new location, will become even better than it was before.
Enduring the hardship of a move will only strengthen the bonds created through the garden.
One day, this will be a story the garden founders tell newcomers and reminisce about together over compost and cucumbers (remember when…).
