Cornucopia

Strathcona Community Garden, continued ...

(Part I, here)

Tide flats. It wasn't all that long ago, as geographical features go, that the garden area was a tide flat; the water is still there, barely under the surface. In spots, it determines the use of the land.

I ended the previous post with a photo of a wooden ramp that leads to a small pool. A bench on it provides a resting place surrounded by greens and flowers; I sat there to listen for frogs ...


... and discovered a secret shrine:


In that "cave" in front of Laurie, a small Buddha sits, presumably to spread his beneficient karma over the garden.


He's not the only guardian angel here:

On the post of a shady arbor.

One of the many flower plots. Due to good karma, fairy dust, compost, or hard work? Or all of the above?

Borage.

Going on, deeper into the garden, we came to a row of espaliered fruit trees, painstakingly pruned and secured, bearing red apples and hard, green pears.

"This espalier uses the oblique cordon system with the tree stock grafted onto dwarf rootstock."

Next, the waterlily pool:


... a mirror in the centre of an herb garden with gravelled paths, following a Tibetan Buddhist mandala pattern. Butterflies flutter here from one herb to another, dragonflies zip to and fro, and the bees are busy.

Time for a break, and a cooling drink of water.

Another pool pic. Just because.

Back through the vine walk, heaped with grapes, clematis, kiwis and honeysuckle:


... to the garden house,

"a space for meeting, seed collection, herb drying and archives / library. The building was created using sustainable and reclaimed materials, and incorporates natural systems such as solar power, rainwater collection, grey water cleansing as well as a composting toilet."

Solar panels.

Figs.

Time to go home for tea. We walked back around the west edge of the plots, past a children's area,


... and a berry patch,

Black gooseberries.

... down the path, and home, sunburnt (again!) and foot-weary.

We missed the wetlands area, down in the southeast corner, the composting bins, and the native sweat lodge. A route for another day.

Section of the Environmental Youth Alliance map.

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