For three years, members of Esquimalt United Church have been growing a vegetable garden on the church property at the corner of Admirals Road and Lyall Street. The garden has been a delight not only to members of the congregation but also to our neighbours who often stop to chat with anyone who happens to be working in the garden.
Proceeds from the sale of the produce are to be donated to the Mustard Seed food bank at the end of the season.
For a garden growing a variety of edibles in such a public place, it has been quite remarkable how little produce has been taken – except by the roaming herd of deer that strolls the area regularly.
This year we had two very fine, large pumpkins growing. We watched with interest as they grew larger and larger and turned orange. Before we had a chance to harvest them, they disappeared sometime over the Sept. 10 and 11 weekend.
I would like to offer a suggestion to whoever saw the chance to nick a couple of free pumpkins: a substantial donation to the food bank would be good compensation – maybe a dollar per pound? Oh, and please at least turn them into something beautiful.
Marjory Acton
Esquimalt