Garden

Today was a beautiful day: perfect for a stop at the West End Farmer's Market this morning, and then I wandered a few blocks to check out the Davie Village Community Garden - a lovely little oasis at the corner of one of the busiest intersections in downtown Vancouver: Davie and Burrard Streets. In the midst of all the bustle is this chunk of land, formerly the site of a gas station, now a community garden where people grow flowers and vegetables in assigned mini plots. I'm tempted to put my name on the waiting list to get my own $10/year spot - my balconies on the 21st floor are too windy and don't get enough sun to grow much of anything.

The glass towers in the background are The Wall Centre - including until recently Vancouver's tallest building.

Post title from this song by Pearl Jam.

Scene at the Open Air Market

Vancouver has a thriving network of farmers' markets. There is fecund agricultural land surrounding Metro Vancouver and throughout parts of southern British Columbia. As spring is upon us and summer beckons, over the past few weeks the regular weekly markets have been opening one by one, the last one opening today in my neighbourhood, downtown's West End. The market gets better as the season progresses, but this morning I was able to pick up locally and organically grown new potatoes, bell peppers, heritage tomatoes, a basil plant, dried apple chips, some phenomenal smoked canned tuna, and delicious baked goods.

The highrise in the background is the Wall Centre, once Vancouver's tallest building until it was surpassed by the Shangri La.

 Post title from this Thievery Corporation song.