This past June, I received a Neighbourhood Small Grant to organize and host a local plant swap. I invited our friends and neighbours to contribute plants and seedlings to exchange with one another on a sunny afternoon. The evening before my kids and I infused lemonade with lavender, rose petal, lemon balm and mint foraged from our garden. We baked lemon poppy seed, anise cookies and several other families brought over cookies and other treats to share. We organized a contest to win an small apple tree, and harvested and bundled fresh thyme, mint, lavender and oregano to give away. My 7 year old son set-up a small library of plant and gardening books and brought out the drawing easel for the kids. Plant and local seed contributions came pouring in all day long. Everything from pumpkin starters to full grown banana leaf plants were traded -along with everyone’s local gardening secrets! We even found some new collaborators that would like to help make this inspiring event happen again next year! There is a bounty of food and flowers already growing in East Vancouver and this was a great way to bring together the people that nuture this food and flower production and to our share resources.
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