Beauty and bountiful nutrition is blooming around Kelownasa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒榯ent citysa国际传媒�.

Debbie, a resident of the popular encampment along the rail-trail, is the brains behind the blossoming community garden. She broke ground after being gifted a couple of seedlings. Since then, the garden has grown plentifully.

Garth, her partner, is the sa国际传媒渕usclesa国际传媒� behind the project and Kismet, her puppy, provides snuggles.

sa国际传媒淲hen I first mentioned it to bylaw, they kind of rolled their eyes at me,sa国际传媒� said Debbie. sa国际传媒淣ow that theysa国际传媒檝e seen it, theysa国际传媒檙e more on board.sa国际传媒�

Debbie hopes that by sa国际传媒渂eautifyingsa国际传媒� the encampment, people will start to see the humanity of those experiencing homelessness.

sa国际传媒淭hey donsa国际传媒檛 see us as people,sa国际传媒� said Debbie.

She said that her community can hear the degrading remarks pedestrians make as they pass by, and it hurts their feelings.

sa国际传媒淢aybe if we make it prettier along here, it would give people something to be proud ofsa国际传媒� and people would see us as human.sa国际传媒�

She said that there has been great community involvement in the project and that residents have been enjoying the flowers and produce from the garden.

During the interview at sa国际传媒榯ent citysa国际传媒� residents of the encampment came up to Debbie, asking for direction on harvesting vegetables and to ask permission to add some plants of their own.

She said that having a productive project to work on, like a garden, gives people a purpose, which is beneficial for mental health.

sa国际传媒淲hen you donsa国际传媒檛 have things to do, it can become destructive.sa国际传媒�

Debbie hopes to grow even more produce next year. This year, the garden boasts a harvest of zucchini, kale, tomatoes, strawberries and cauliflower, to name a few.

She wants to give the residents increased access to fresh and healthy foods, like vegetables, since the donated food that residents of the encampment rely on is typically processed and non-perishable.

Debbie is also growing an assortment of flowers, planted around the vegetables. Garth is typically in charge of watering the plants, an arduous task in the hot summers with only a single water fountain to use.

Next spring, she would like to hold a plant swap where locals could exchange cuttings of prolific plants to expand their garden variety.

After being gifted an armful of fresh-picked produce, Capital News reports that the zucchinis and tomatoes are delicious.

Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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