Communities are just like gardens, notes Greg Roberts with the Ladysmith Community Garden Society, with the right ingredients, they grow and blossom.
In the case of the community garden on High Street, it has been the community that has helped create the garden.
Now thanks to the help of such groups as Ladysmith Rotary, Ladysmith Family and Friends and Ladysmith Secondary, the community garden has a gazebo, shed and arbour.
The garden was always meant to be a community asset said Roberts.
It was started by a group that called itself FACT, or Food Action Co-ordinating Team, which looked at food security.
“So many communities have taken on these gardens in the past and Ladysmith didn’t have one,” said Roberts.
“It’s really a way of encouraging people with a demonstration garden.”
Roberts said the community garden has received nothing but support from everyone involved, including not only the groups mentioned before, but also the Town of Ladysmith, Seniors Centre, Boys and Girls Club and others.
“I think we’re still in our infancy,” said Roberts of the one-year-old garden.
Roberts hopes that if interest continues to grow, they will be able to branch out and look at other sites to cultivate.
“There are a number of sites around town that can be used.”
As for their current location, Roberts said the completion of the Spirit Square really adds to the area.
“We want it to be really part of the public space,” said Roberts, noting the new Rotary-built arbour will provide another nice space for residents.
Anyone interested in learning more about the community garden can visit their website at ladysmithcommunitygardensociety.weebly.com.