About Us
Briarpatch Community Garden is home for backyard gardeners to share, work, learn and grow together. This space is much more than a source of food security for the community gardeners – it’s a quiet space to escape the noise and chaos of the city, build sense of community, and promote community health. Join us and help us keep this community space thriving and blooming! Our Vision is that the Briarpatch Garden is a community space where gardeners feel nourished, peaceful and empowered. We promote opportunities both collectively, and individually to grow and flourish. Our Mission is that the garden will be a hopeful and welcoming outdoor community space. Where people can cultivate relationships with nature and those around them.
Our Values
- Engage in communication
- Actively participate
- Create safety
- Work interdependently
- Promote health and well-being
- Empower one another and the community
History of Briarpatch Community Garden
The Briarpatch is located on private property where a house once stood. After a fire claimed the house, the lot was vacant and an overgrowth of “Briarpatch” blackberries had taken residence. Servants Partners of Asia took on this thorny situation by converting this small corner house lot into Briarpatch Community Garden. They stewarded the Briarpatch from 2013 – 2020.
In 2020, the Briarpatch story gets really interesting. After the closure of Servants Partners of Asia, local residents teamed up together to continue operating the garden as an unpartnered community garden. The space transformed into a thriving oasis of individual plots and communal sections. It’s become a place where garden members learn valuable lessons about the importance of caring for the land, their food and working together towards a common goal. It is where connections are made, friendships are formed, and memories are created. It serves as a gathering place where gardeners can come together to share wisdom, experiences, and support one another.
Our gardeners enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea along with thoughtful conversations. A comfy greeting into a peaceful atmosphere, where ideas are exchanged and minds are engaged. The sight of children playing adds a sense of joy and innocence to the garden space. The gardeners are busy as bees, singing a favorite song as they go about their chores. The promises of bountiful harvest await their eager stomachs and inspires their cooks! Together, these elements create an enriching sense of unity and pride among the gardeners. The vibrant flowers and lush greenery extend joy to all who pass by. Smiling faces, friendly hellos and small exchanges of pleasantries over the fence help brighten everyone’s day.
Briarpatch, is an example of how a little community TLC can turn an unkempt space into a beloved community treasure. Briarpatch has become a place of solace and connection. Where friendships blossom alongside the plants. A community garden with a lasting legacy within the neighbourhood for generations to come. In this way, Briarpatch is the heartbeat of the community. We are so blessed to be here, and hope you’ll come join us!