Sunshine Coast
Seniors Community Garden

About the Garden

An accessible community garden is being created for and by seniors at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden, and you are invited to take part in this exciting project.

This new garden is the place for you if:

• you are a senior who has experience growing vegetables and would like to share your knowledge with other people;
• you are a senior who would like to learn how to grow vegetables;
• you enjoy socializing with other friendly people while getting gentle exercise in the fresh air and sunshine;
• you would like to become involved with the Botanical Garden;
• you would like to learn more about gardening in small spaces;
• you would like to learn how to build gardens that are accessible to people with physical or mobility challenges;
• you have no garden of your own and would like to grow vegetables in a community garden setting.

Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program is providing funds that will allow us to build extra high raised beds, firm wide paths, and a greenhouse that will be walker and wheelchair accessible.

Some funding is also available to transport participants to the garden.Participants will help design the garden and decide what vegetables and flowers will be grown.

Vegetables produced in the garden will go to the volunteers themselves, and to local organizations selected by the volunteers, such as the Seniors' Community Kitchen and the Sunshine Coast Food Bank. We hope there will be enough food produced for canning and preserving.

The program will run from April until October, 2010. Participants can decide the number of hours per week or month they would like to spend in the garden An opening celebration will be held in May and a harvest festival will be held in late summer. We hope participation in the Seniors Community Garden will continue and expand in future years.

For More Information

For more information about the Seniors Community Garden and how to get involved, please contact program coordinator Harry Hill at 604-885-9769 or seniorsgarden@coastbotanicalgarden.org

Open House April 10

An open house was held at the site of the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden, 5941 Mason Road, Sechelt, the afternoon of April 10, 2010.

More than 30 people responded to the invitation to come and see the place where the Seniors Community Garden is taking shape, to enjoy refreshments, and to meet the people who are already participating in the garden.

Official Opening June 27

The official opening of the New Horizons Seniors Community Garden will take place on Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 2 pm.

People who have expressed an interest in the project are invited to come and see the progress of the garden and the raised beds already planted.

Refreshments will be offered, as well as tours of the seniors garden, vegetable garden, and the botanical garden property.