The gardening workshop was created in response to drop-in families expressing interest in the community garden across from the family centre. The curriculum was based on play and hands-on experience for the children, which facilitated the parent’s involvement through the support of their children. Many of the drop-in families do not have access to a garden and had never grown vegetables before so this workshop was an introduction to gardening basics including soil health, organic planting methods and indoor gardening.

The workshop was structured so that throughout the growing season each family was provided with the opportunity to re-visit the garden every six weeks to see the garden’s changes. Each family registered for two visits every six weeks with a total of two or three visits to the garden.

The gardening curriculum developed organically based on what the families expressed interest in growing and what was in season. This provided an excellent opporunity to discuss eco-sustainability in organic gardening and farming in the city.

Pedagogical Narration

The following photos were all taken during our second outing to the garden. This was the family’s second time ever in a garden and there was a noticeable shift in the attitude of both the children and the adults towards the end of the gardening workshop.

Child: “Look! A hole.”

Nina: “I wonder why there’s a hole in the ground, what do you think made the hole?”

Child: *turns away shyly and continues to dig*

Nina: We’re digging the soil to mix in the good plants and make good soil so we can grow food. You can dig too, here’s a shovel!

Child 1: *shakes her head when I ask if she wants to dig*

Child 2: *starts digging!*

Nina: “Take a pinch of carrot seeds and sprinkle them in a line so we can make a line of carrots.”

Child 3: *concentrating while he takes a pinch from one of the parent’s palms and sprinkles seeds into the soil* “I sprinkled seeds!”

Parent: “Here, this is how you dig the cover crop into the soil”

Child: *copies his mother”