Happy Holidays from everyone at Lady Flower Gardens! As an early holiday gift to our LFG family, we have chosen to feature our 2021 summer staff Rayna and Allie!
After experiencing the ins and outs of Lady Flower Gardens (LFG), what is your impression & how do you feel LFG is impacting the Edmonton community?
Lady Flower Gardens (LFG) is a special - unique - sacred place. A longstanding topic of discussion in geography is what transforms a space into a place. What must the space include, entail, consist of in order to be ‘place’ to someone? The most accepted answer is meaning. A space becomes place when significance and meaning is intertwined into the physical plane of a particular landscape. And let me tell you, if you have not experienced it for yourself, Lady Flower Gardens (including the Jubilee forest) is a place of utmost significance to those who have had the pleasure to be involved. Not only did I have the honour to work alongside long-time members of this community and witness the meaning they have attached to this space, but I also got to develop my own personal sense of meaning, too.
From day one, I felt I belonged at LFG. I think most people feel that way. The atmosphere is intentionally set to foster a sense of welcomeness. Everyone belongs. I have been inspired to take that hospitality everywhere I go. How can I make the people around me feel like they belong? Because is not belonging one of the fundamental pillars of wellbeing? If I have the opportunity to strengthen that pillar for others then I want to take it. This is not the extent of the significance I have linked to LFG, though. It was also the place that held me after the sudden, tragic loss of my brother in the latter half of summer. In a way, my entire life felt uprooted. What security I had in this life vanished faster than I could grab hold of it to stay. But LFG was like soft soil for me to take root again. If this was any other summer job I do not think I would have returned to work after…but this is not just any job…this is a vocation. This is a community. I wanted to be there, or rather, I needed to be there. I needed the escape from busy city life while trying to make sense of my pain. I needed the community to gain strength. I needed the lush bountiful vegetation to nourish me. I needed the trees to breathe life into me again.
And it did just that.
It is hard to express in words exactly what this place means to me, but I hope this offers a glimpse. I experienced LFG for a mere 3 months and it changed my life. Some of the LFG community has been fed by this place for years. Imagine that impact and the healing it has provided to many others!Describe a moment over the summer where you took pride in your work.
There is a particular memory that comes to mind where I went home feeling proud of what was accomplished that day. I do not have a lot of market gardening experience so many things were new to me, including the assembly of tunnels to cover plants that need more of a greenhouse effect. It was a gloomy and windy day. However, we started setting up the tunnels and we were determined to finish. If we left it for the next day, the work we already put in could have been compromised. So we pressed on and worked fast. When we were finished I was so glad we didn’t leave it for a more convenient time and accomplished what we set out to do. I think that is a good lesson for life: just do it. (Maybe I stole that from a big shoe brand?)
How did LFG shape you, and what is something you learned that you will always carry with you?
As it is likely already obvious, LFG shaped me for the better. It both softened me and strengthened me, and I think the best experiences in life do just that. In part, that is a personal choice to respond to each changing day with grace, but LFG must also be credited for the atmosphere they have established and fostered.
What was your favourite vegetable/plant to watch grow? And in your opinion, which fruit/vegetable did you most enjoy to eat?
My favourite thing to watch grow were the watermelons. I love watermelon, it is by far my favourite fruit, but we also put sweat (and possibly a few tears) into caring for them. They were a labour of love so it was special watching them grow from tiny seeds to the large, heavy melons they turned out to be. They also tasted incredible!
Lady Flower Gardens (LFG) is a special - unique - sacred place. A longstanding topic of discussion in geography is what transforms a space into a place. What must the space include, entail, consist of in order to be ‘place’ to someone? The most accepted answer is meaning. A space becomes place when significance and meaning is intertwined into the physical plane of a particular landscape. And let me tell you, if you have not experienced it for yourself, Lady Flower Gardens (including the Jubilee forest) is a place of utmost significance to those who have had the pleasure to be involved. Not only did I have the honour to work alongside long-time members of this community and witness the meaning they have attached to this space, but I also got to develop my own personal sense of meaning, too.
From day one, I felt I belonged at LFG. I think most people feel that way. The atmosphere is intentionally set to foster a sense of welcomeness. Everyone belongs. I have been inspired to take that hospitality everywhere I go. How can I make the people around me feel like they belong? Because is not belonging one of the fundamental pillars of wellbeing? If I have the opportunity to strengthen that pillar for others then I want to take it. This is not the extent of the significance I have linked to LFG, though. It was also the place that held me after the sudden, tragic loss of my brother in the latter half of summer. In a way, my entire life felt uprooted. What security I had in this life vanished faster than I could grab hold of it to stay. But LFG was like soft soil for me to take root again. If this was any other summer job I do not think I would have returned to work after…but this is not just any job…this is a vocation. This is a community. I wanted to be there, or rather, I needed to be there. I needed the escape from busy city life while trying to make sense of my pain. I needed the community to gain strength. I needed the lush bountiful vegetation to nourish me. I needed the trees to breathe life into me again.
And it did just that.
It is hard to express in words exactly what this place means to me, but I hope this offers a glimpse. I experienced LFG for a mere 3 months and it changed my life. Some of the LFG community has been fed by this place for years. Imagine that impact and the healing it has provided to many others!Describe a moment over the summer where you took pride in your work.
There is a particular memory that comes to mind where I went home feeling proud of what was accomplished that day. I do not have a lot of market gardening experience so many things were new to me, including the assembly of tunnels to cover plants that need more of a greenhouse effect. It was a gloomy and windy day. However, we started setting up the tunnels and we were determined to finish. If we left it for the next day, the work we already put in could have been compromised. So we pressed on and worked fast. When we were finished I was so glad we didn’t leave it for a more convenient time and accomplished what we set out to do. I think that is a good lesson for life: just do it. (Maybe I stole that from a big shoe brand?)
How did LFG shape you, and what is something you learned that you will always carry with you?
As it is likely already obvious, LFG shaped me for the better. It both softened me and strengthened me, and I think the best experiences in life do just that. In part, that is a personal choice to respond to each changing day with grace, but LFG must also be credited for the atmosphere they have established and fostered.
What was your favourite vegetable/plant to watch grow? And in your opinion, which fruit/vegetable did you most enjoy to eat?
My favourite thing to watch grow were the watermelons. I love watermelon, it is by far my favourite fruit, but we also put sweat (and possibly a few tears) into caring for them. They were a labour of love so it was special watching them grow from tiny seeds to the large, heavy melons they turned out to be. They also tasted incredible!
After experiencing the ins and outs of Lady Flower Gardens (LFG), what is your impression & how do you feel LFG is impacting the Edmonton community?
I believe Lady Flower Gardens is an amazing organization. While a large amount of the gardeners that came up to the garden have been coming for years, I still noticed a positive change throughout the gardeners during the time I worked there. I truly believe that when gardeners come up to the garden week after week, they make a positive change within themselves. Even if a gardener only comes once throughout the summer, they came to a space that is new and different and welcoming which is always good to do. Being outside of the city and in an environment such as this once does wonders to your mental and physical health. LFG gives everyone who might need it the opportunity to work on their mental and physical health in a safe environment and I think that is beautiful.
Describe a moment over the summer where you took pride in your work.
I found that whenever someone asked what I was doing as a summer job, and I got to describe the beautiful organization that LFG is, that made me so happy and proud. I have never loved a summer job this much. While this is not something that happened at the garden, I did find it happened often and I always loved when people asked. The majority of people that asked me had not heard of LFG and were always amazed that something this special existed so close by.
How did LFG shape you, and what is something you learned that you will always carry with you?
LFG changed me for the better. I have a much better understanding of the communities within Edmonton that I did not know existed before. I am aware of how important places like this are and how important people that do this work are. Not just Rayna and myself, but all of the staff members that bring the gardeners up. Without people like Doug and Kelly to create spaces like this, and summer workers to keep it running and staff members to bring gardeners it wouldn’t exist.
I have no agriculture background and besides helping grow a backyard vegetable garden I really had no idea how much work goes into keeping a garden alive. Rayna, Kelly, Doug and I put our heart and soul into this garden to keep it alive and I will always remember those moments we spent in the garden. As well I will always be impressed by people that chose to put the effort into large vegetable gardens every year.
What was your favourite vegetable/plant to watch grow? And in your opinion, which fruit/vegetable did you most enjoy to eat?
My favourite vegetable to plant was watermelon. While it was rather difficult to plant and take care of, while they were growing the baby watermelons were very cute and I found I was so proud of our hard work when we got to eat one. That also made the watermelon the best to eat! I also enjoyed the corn, I had never had corn raw directly off the stalk and it was the best!!
I believe Lady Flower Gardens is an amazing organization. While a large amount of the gardeners that came up to the garden have been coming for years, I still noticed a positive change throughout the gardeners during the time I worked there. I truly believe that when gardeners come up to the garden week after week, they make a positive change within themselves. Even if a gardener only comes once throughout the summer, they came to a space that is new and different and welcoming which is always good to do. Being outside of the city and in an environment such as this once does wonders to your mental and physical health. LFG gives everyone who might need it the opportunity to work on their mental and physical health in a safe environment and I think that is beautiful.
Describe a moment over the summer where you took pride in your work.
I found that whenever someone asked what I was doing as a summer job, and I got to describe the beautiful organization that LFG is, that made me so happy and proud. I have never loved a summer job this much. While this is not something that happened at the garden, I did find it happened often and I always loved when people asked. The majority of people that asked me had not heard of LFG and were always amazed that something this special existed so close by.
How did LFG shape you, and what is something you learned that you will always carry with you?
LFG changed me for the better. I have a much better understanding of the communities within Edmonton that I did not know existed before. I am aware of how important places like this are and how important people that do this work are. Not just Rayna and myself, but all of the staff members that bring the gardeners up. Without people like Doug and Kelly to create spaces like this, and summer workers to keep it running and staff members to bring gardeners it wouldn’t exist.
I have no agriculture background and besides helping grow a backyard vegetable garden I really had no idea how much work goes into keeping a garden alive. Rayna, Kelly, Doug and I put our heart and soul into this garden to keep it alive and I will always remember those moments we spent in the garden. As well I will always be impressed by people that chose to put the effort into large vegetable gardens every year.
What was your favourite vegetable/plant to watch grow? And in your opinion, which fruit/vegetable did you most enjoy to eat?
My favourite vegetable to plant was watermelon. While it was rather difficult to plant and take care of, while they were growing the baby watermelons were very cute and I found I was so proud of our hard work when we got to eat one. That also made the watermelon the best to eat! I also enjoyed the corn, I had never had corn raw directly off the stalk and it was the best!!