1534 Argyle Ave, West Vancouver, BC, Canada
With our inquiry question: “how can we enhance community in connection with the land through the setting of a community garden?”, I spent my time outside this week thinking about the ways we can grow relationships among a community of diverse people. How, in a setting such as a community garden, can we begin to not only come together but learn and engaged in one another’s diverse abilities, heritages, histories, and cultural backgrounds?
I am of mixed ethnicity, being half European and half Persian, and both side of the family love to garden. Thus, I spent a lot of time thinking about the difference between my two cultures in this space. There are certain plants that have significant meaning and importance to grow in gardens for my Persian heritage and others for my European. With this in mind, I think a space like community gardens allow these conversations to spark. Why has one person chosen to plant tulips and another to plant hyacinth? Tulips are often associated with the coming of spring in western cultures, however, the first day of spring is important for Iranians is also the beginning of our new year. A part of our new year traditions is creating the haft-sin table, which is an arrangement of seven symbolic items, one of which includes hyacinths.
Spaces like community gardens invite these conversations which allows us to learn more about one another and all the different knowledge/traditions that we hold. Often times, when we hear and learn about people who live lives outside of our own known experiences, we begin to grow appreciation and interest for one another. This is where community can truly flourish as we grow to understand and care for each other.