The Eden Community Garden in Waterloo was looking tired and lifeless before the Luncheon Club and a group of dedicated volunteers decided it was time for a makeover. Project Manager Vicki Coumbe says the Eden garden was born from the passion of a key volunteer who had a clear vision of how the garden should look with a bit of hard work and a little money.
Before the transformation, the group did extensive research on best practice community gardening which included working with the City’s Community Gardens Coordinator who provided valuable advice and tips to secure their grant from the City.
Vicki continues, ‘The money we received was enough to make the dramatic changes we wanted and with the money came more interest from other volunteers who gave us the manpower to complete our big plan.’
Now, the garden is a flourishing haven of life – complete with raised garden beds full of edible plants, a chicken coop, a wet garden, composting area, and structured pathways which has helped make the area more accessible. It is also used as a community meeting space for people with HIV and their families.
The Luncheon Club continues to encourage the community to engage in gardening and is planning to host gardening workshops. Vicki is ecstatic with the outcome of the project. She says it helped a group of volunteers transform the Eden Garden from ‘a hodgepodge of a garden into something that is productive and beautiful.’
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