Garden and Grow fundraiser to help people have fun in garden
Garden and Grow, the second event for the #ShattertheSilence campaign of the Algonquin College’s public relations (ACPR) students was held on July 20, 2024 at the horticulture building.
The entry fee was $20 for each adult, and children were given free entry. There was also a silent auction table, with gardening tools for auction. All the proceeds will go to the Royal, Ottawa’s main mental health care centre.
The event started with a seminar on the physical and mental health benefits of gardening by horticulture professor Jason Vodden. He talked about plants’ evolution, their benefits and how they can help people.
“Living in a city, there’s a lot of noise pollution, a lot of pollution-pollution, and it leads to feelings of isolation, and sometimes, just the busyness can lead to anxiety,” said Prof. Vodden. “I don’t know if any of you have ever gone and sat outside before, in a green space. It doesn’t take long to just feel a little bit more relaxed.”
The seminar was followed by a break so people could mingle and enjoy refreshments like juices and pastries.
Prof. Vodden took everyone on a tour of the horticulture grounds, which are built on four acres of land and have three years of collections of plants. The first stop was the outside garden, which houses many varieties of plants and trees, then the vegetable garden, and last, the greenhouse. “It has 34 species of plants and this place is something I am very proud of,” said Prof. Vodden.
The third and last part of the event was a planting session, where people paired up, mixed soils and planted succulents according to Prof. Vodden’s instructions. People got to take these plants home in a free tote bag.
“It was lovely and well done. I love the awareness it is raising,” said attendee Emily Deraiche-Grossberg. “I think learning about plants is good for the environment and a good way of giving back.”
Julia Bland, one of the organizers and an ACPR student said, “I am thankful people came and enjoyed the event, it was amazing. Mental health and plants are co-related, and it was a great way to teach people more about that.”
