The vegetables and flowers growing alongside the abandoned rail lines next to Fir Street give new meaning to the word organic.
Not only is no pesticide used on this lovely stretch of farmland between West 1st and 2nd Avenues in Kitsilano, but the garden sprung up on its own after CPR abandoned the tracks eight years ago.
Unlike the community garden farther up the track, this one has no formal structure. The first gardener lived in the co-op next door; he simply starting planting a small garden. Now there are seven faithfuls who grow everything from high-bush blueberries to chard, with some bee-attracting flowers thrown in for good measure. (A second garden, closer to West 2nd, has about seven new enthusiasts.)
The garden would be even more popular were it not for the one downside the gardeners have to bring their own water.
Its relaxing, says Shirley Julien, a Canada Post letter carrier who was among the first people to see the stretch of rail line as the perfect border for a garden. She used to own a farm in Comox she had an acre devoted to garlic and the garden gets me out of city mode.
Two years ago, she met Dan Lennox at the garden. Their romance blossomed and ast November, she and the retired firefighter married. Today, they get at least half of their vegetables from what Lennox fondly calls guerilla gardening.
Another organic aspect of the garden is the materials that have been used for the raised beds. Some of the wood came from a house that was torn down nearby; other bits and pieces of lumber have been donated or found on Craigs List. (More lumber is welcome.) Nearly every part of the garden has been created with free supplies. Juliens manure comes from a horse farm in Southlands and Go Fish donated $100 for supplies.
However, please dont assume that the fruits of the gardeners labour is free for the taking. As a sign in the garden says, the children who plant here are extremely disappointed when they discover their vegetable garden has been harvested by someone else. Please enjoy this little oasis of goodness with your eyes only.
How to join a community garden
Even though there are 74 official community gardens in Vancouver, with approximately 3,260 garden plots, demand far exceeds supply. Go to Vancouver.ca or SharingBackyards.com for information on how to get involved.
