It's planting time here in Victoria, and amid the pandemic people are finding creative ways to support one another in building a resilient local food supply. In response to a recent post in the COVID-10 Coming Together Facebook group for Victoria, Dawn Harvey and her husband are putting together food growing packages to share with the community.
The packages will include lettuce and spinach planters, along with compost and other seeds donated by members of the community, and will be delivered by volunteers. There are a limited number of kits, but they can be requested by sending a private message including your address to Tara Timmers.
Local residents with extra garden supplies are encouraged to create their own garden kits, and distribute them as well as any extra seeds by leaving them in a Little Free Library close by. Teale Phelps Bondaroff is the Pocket Places Project Lead at the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network. "I've often described little free libraries (LFLs) as coral reefs for community," he says, "because they help connect and bring people together." Unfortunately, at a time when everyone should be practicing social distancing, this is not a feature that we want to encourage. He goes on: "Given the circumstances, it is great to see people adapting these placemaking elements to serve other community needs." A map of all Little Free Libraries in Victoria is available on the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network website.
And if you don't have a yard? According to the City of Victoria's Boulevard Gardening Guidelines, all you need is permission from the property owner to turn the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street into a wonderful community garden!