| THE VERADIS GARDEN The official launch and welcome to Veradis Garden took place on October 25th. In just six months, the garden has flourished thanks to the love and dedication of dozens of friends, neighbours, community members, and partners who spent countless hours preparing the soil, building structures, weaving willow, planting, weeding, and watering. During the opening celebration, we planted spring bulbs and gathered seeds from obedient plants, nasturtiums, mountain mint, zinnias, and spotted horse mint. Community members shared homemade treats and a large jug of delicious warm herbal tea. I led a garden tour and spoke about its design - a sinuous walkway that invites visitors on a sensory journey through a central passageway, the willow arbor. This arbor acts as a portal, symbolizing renewal, change, and transformation. The woven willow fences curve around the path like an embrace, representing community support and care. I also shared stories about some of the garden’s more unusual and fascinating plants; those with distinctive scents, curious sounds, or unexpectedly rich textures. The project was produced with the Old Town Berlin Neighbourhood Association, and the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, with funding from Love My Hood, and direction from willow weaving artist Agnes Niewiadomski. Follow the Veradis Garden project on Instagram. | 
