The Children’s Garden Club is a victim of its own success. For the past five years the prospective gardeners have been meeting at the home of Anne Boquist on Robinson Road but now there are too many of them.
The enthusiasm and encouragement they have received from Boquist and her volunteers is obvious in the growing numbers of kids over three who want to plant stuff.
This year, beginning at the end of April, the club will meet at the Sunriver Allotment Garden on Phillips Road.
“Every month we are going to have a food, craft, vegetable, flower and environmental component,” said Boquist. “We have gotten adult volunteers to take on one of the workshops.”
The goal of the Children’s Garden Club is to have fun learning and growing flowers, vegetables and herbs. They focus on growing organically, eating healthy and learning about the environment.
“We encourage good gardening, good food and good citizens,” says the promotional material.
Boquist said the kids will also be growing wildflowers starts for local parks. They are also encouraging families to get involved in the annual Sooke Fall Fair in September and other community projects throughout the year.
“We’re growing good people who are community minded,” said Boquist.
The club is generously sponsored by community groups and is free for children from age three to about 10. They meet once a month, usually on Thursdays, from April to October. At each meeting they hold small workshops on some aspect of food, share plants and seeds and enjoy refreshments. Volunteer leaders will offer advice, ideas and enthusiasm and they will visit home gardens throughout the season.
In the past the children have enjoyed making such things as kale chips and lettuce roll ups, all the foster a love of vegetables and growing their own food. The kids have also enjoyed a fun scarecrow making event at the end of the season.
Registration forms are available at Home Hardware and at The Stick coffee shop.
For more information and details call Anne Boquits at 250-642-3798 or: aboquist@shaw.ca