If you take a walk to the end of Inlet Avenue behind the Community Services building, you'll find the garden that love built.
The garden, an oasis of calm and beauty in the heart of Sechelt, is flourishing. "This year it's especially lush," said Kate von Riesen, resource development co-ordinator for Sunshine Coast Community Services.
From humble beginnings, the garden has grown to cover the entire backyard. It's so popular with the staff at community services, the outdoors has become "like another room" according to von Riesen. "It contributes to the wellness of our people," von Riesen said.
She said many people benefit from the garden. The 18 individuals who have their own garden plots there, the food bank and the many children in different programs at the building all appreciate having this green space.
"The plots are available for a nominal fee of $10 per year," the co-ordinator said. "They're all taken right now, but people can apply at Community Services for the next available one."
Von Riesen credits the community for the success of the garden. From the donations of topsoil and bark mulch by AZ Topsoil to the labour of green-thumb volunteers, the garden thrives with the generosity of many.
One such volunteer, Karl Pasowesty, is happy to have a way to contribute to his community. Pasowesty, a retired professional, has lived on the Coast for the past four years. "Do what you can to give to the community," is his philosophy. Pasowesty considers himself a creator. He's always liked gardening. "It's a way of giving back to the people that work so hard here [at Community Services]," he said.
For her part, von Riesen is amazed at the way the volunteers always seem to sense the need for more gardeners.
"You don't even have to verbalize a need," she said. "They just seem to appear when they're needed."
For the people who live and work in the area, the garden is a benefit measurable in more than money. Local business people keep the area clean and trash-free. "In the six years I've been here, this is the best the garden has ever looked," von Riesen said. "Our garden is incredible."
