Summer Solstice Extravaganza!

 Thursday, June 25th, 2026

An Early Morning Start

Today started with an early 8:00 arrival time at the Orchard Garden. It was finally the day of our summer solstice celebration, and that meant we had a lot of work to do! 

We needed to gather all the supplies for the different activities, bring in the food, and set up the garden for guests. We created a blanket area under one of the tents for a story time spot for the kids. 

Katie collecting flowers for flower pounding

                        

                                                 

Then, we set up the supplies for the activities at different benches. 

Finally, Keegan and Lu moved the picnic tables from the end of the garden to beside the birch tree. We decided this would be a good spot for the food and drinks. 

                                                

Everyone did an excellent job preparing the food for the solstice celebration. We had freshly baked raspberry crumble, 3 wonderful salads, a mountain of watermelon and apple slices, as well as many veggies and dips a person could ask for. Combined with the bread donated by A Bread Affair Granville Island, we truly had a feast. We also took advantage of the abundance of lemon balm in the garden to make a cool lemon balm tea. It was delicious!

Arrival of the Kids

Before we knew it, the children were arriving. We welcomed them by reading a story called "The Bakery Dragon" by Devin Elle Kurtz. After the story, the children could choose to explore the following activity stations:

 Shadow painting: participants took paper and a mark-making tool and traced leaf shadows on their paper. Supplies: paper, clipboard (can sub for cardboard), pencil crayons, markers, watercolour supplies.

 

Flower pounding: Participants placed flowers along a piece of cloth. Once happy with the placement, they folded their fabric and pounded it with a rock. This creates an interesting pattern on the cloth. When finished, participants had the choice to keep their piece or tie it onto our summer solstice wreath. Supplies included: rocks, strips of fabric, and fresh flowers. 

 

 

Flower crown making: Younger participants decorated their own flower crowns using flowers found around the garden.  older participants had the opportunity to make their own flower crown face using gathered Morning Glory stems, afterwards they'd be able to decorate their crowns like the younger participants. Supplies: prepared morning glory crowns, morning glory stems, access to flowers.

Exploring the garden: Guests were able to explore the garden and see the different plants we have growing. The children were especially interested in the different berry bushes all around the garden. The raspberries were picked clean, and some of them discovered that they like autumn olives.

   

Friends helping friends after some

sticky bristles got stuck friend's socks.

Kindness blossoms in the garden!

Music: During all of this some of our more musically inclined people took up an instrument and filled the garden with songs.

  

 

More Visitors

Before the Daycares left Dr. Samson Nashon, Department Head of Curriculum and Pedagogy gave a speech discussing the importance of places like the garden in education. After the daycares left, it was a slower day. We had visitors from the TEO, our FA Anish Sayani, former students of Susan’s, and some of our friends and families. Our first visitors of the day were Megan’s partner and their youngest child! We also got a short visit from Kat’s child during our prep time, and got to meet Sara’s parents. Any visitors were welcome to tour the garden space and view or taste a selection of the food we are growing this season. Giving the tours was also wonderful. It brought up new questions, and made me (Alex) revisit some of the stories I have heard throughout my time in the garden

Dr. Samson Nashon, Department Head of Curriculum and Pedagogy

Some Garden Losses

There were some moments of sadness in an otherwise wonderful day. Sadly, we discovered another crop was stolen from the garden last night. This time, the garlic was targeted. The thief stole every single garlic plant. We are understandably upset by the loss because Saul has been growing this garlic since October 2025. We are considering making signs to prevent another crop from being taken without permission. 

Another loss was the plum tree in the food forest. As mentioned in previous blogs, there once was a large plum tree at one of the ends of the garden that needed to be cut down because it had developed Black Knot fungus.  This fungus is incredibly contagious and will kill trees.  Before it had been cut down in an attempt to save itself, the Plum Tree had been sending shoots away from its main body to attempt to live on.  Sadly, these shoots were too close together and also caught Black Knot fungus.  Until today we believed one of the shoots had been able to survive;  however, we found out that it was also infected and needed to be cut down. Much like the original plum tree, this new one will be buried, and hopefully we will be able to turn its death into a source of life for other plants.

Reflecting on CFE and our time in the Orchard

Our Faculty Advisor, Anish Sayani, visited today. He toured the garden with us, and listened to our stories about our experiences in the garden. Then we sat down with him, Susan, and Saul to reflect on our time in the garden and how it impacted our growth as educators. While we don’t want to explicitly share what was said in the group due to the vulnerability and trust among the group, here are a few common themes from our discussion:

• Deep gratitude towards Saul, Susan, and the garden for creating the space where we could unwind and rejuvenate from the stress of practicum.

• The rich educational experience and tremendous learning that occurred each day due to Susan’s willingness to share her knowledge with us as well as the diverse CFE program. Each day was different because we connected with the community by touring the gardens on campus, learned from guest speakers, her connections and past students who created lesson plans. Susan incorporated her varied interests into the program. 

• Our connection to the environment and its inhabitants strengthened. As we tended the garden, our care for the plants and animals grew and grew. 

• Thanks to Susan, we learned about the history and stories of the places we visited. We also learned life skills and to respect the environment. 

• The garden allowed us to express ourselves by sharing our backgrounds and cultures as they relate to the garden. We connected to the open and free nature of the garden and felt safe to be ourselves. The garden facilitated an environment of camaraderie and trust in our CFE group.

• Work/life balance is possible. Susan and Saul allowed us to take breaks and work at our own pace. This shifted our focus to healing from practicum and prioritizing self care each day before turning toward our to-do list. 

• The idea of being “in situ” In situ is a Latin phrase that translates to "in its original place" or "in position". It is used across various fields to describe studying, testing, or leaving something in its natural or original location rather than moving it to a lab or artificial environment. In the case of our experience in the garden, spending great lengths of uninterrupted time in nature free from pressure of our endless to-do list allowed us to recharge, relax and calm down after an extremely stressful experience. This led us to realize incorporating daily outdoor time in our teaching practice is non-negotiable going forward. 

Overall, learning in the garden is incredibly beneficial. We realized today that if this is how we were impacted as adults, the impact must be even greater for young children if they were to experience something like the Orchard Garden CFE because people are even more impressionable when they are young. 

Do a Little Jig and Spin around

As we cleaned up, we had a moment of silliness and fun. While Susan was playing her accordion, some of us began to dance and spin each other around. This turned into an impromptu dance lesson as Katie and I (Alex) taught the others the Morris dance we had learned at another summer solstice event last Sunday.

This seemingly silly small moment was important. It involved the garden and the community being a safe place to let our guards down. It involved the sharing of knowledge and culture. And most importantly, it was joyful. I think many of us want our classrooms to be a place of joy, and sometimes a part of that is knowing when to let go and lean into those natural moments of connection and play.

Solstice Preparations and Garden Reflections

 Today is the day before the Summer Solstice Festival!

Today is the day before the summer solstice festival! The summer solstice festival team has been working hard the past few days to get everything ready for the big day!

The morning glory vines and flower crowns are prepped for the flower crown-making activity.

The signs and decorations are all ready!

The lemon balm, red currants, and carrots are all growing nicely in time for the festival tomorrow.

We will be serving lots of snacks and refreshments tomorrow, including a raspberry crumble made by Keegan and watermelon and apple slices provided by Kirstin! 

Saturday Workshop preparations and reflections

While the Summer Solstice team put their final touches on their preparations for the event tomorrow, another group of us prepared for the final Saturday workshop of this season! This included preparing prototypes and samples of crafts made from Empress seed pods, mixing herb butter to accompany the delicious bread generously donated by Bread Affair, and painting sample wildflower cards with the natural pigments (beet root, blue spirulina, and turmeric) that participants will create during the workshop. On top of that, we are preparing some drink options both hot and cold, as well as creating a wildflower ‘scavenger hunt’ for participants to have fun getting familiar with the variety of wildflowers in Orchard Garden that they can use as inspiration for their artwork! The team is super excited to host the workshop, and are bringing in any materials that can make the day even more special - such as extra paint brushes, paint, and fruit to snack on. 

Empress Seed pod necklace prototype

Herbs for herb butter! 

It has been a great joy to collaborate with other Bachelor of Education students across cohorts and build new friendships as we prepare for these final events! In a program as large as the one we are in, and as busy as it is, it is hard to branch out and make connections across cohorts. The garden has been such a lovely setting to get to know one another. Being situated outside created a magical atmosphere. Removed was the sterile environment of a classroom, where the clock dictates our movements. The garden invited us to tune into our bodies and minds, fresh air and sunlight brought a lightness to our group, and time began to shift from monochromatic to polychromatic. This experience in the garden has shown us the positive personal shift that takes place after an extended period of time in the garden. Of course, anytime in the garden is wonderful, but, getting familiarized with spending each day outdoors, and with our surroundings, begins to morph the way one interacts with their immediate setting, and then trickles into settings beyond. I’ve found myself looking at the world differently, looking at trees in my neighbourhood and wondering what kind they are, looking at flowers in neighbours gardens and appreciating the time and care that went into their moment of bloom. I can’t speak for the whole group, but I truly found my nervous system was able to settle after spending this time in the garden. When a prompt of stress or urgency came to mind, like it so often does at school, it was able to drift away when returning to my surroundings, looking at the sky, having my hands in the dirt - a big shift from experiencing those feelings in a classroom. Mindfulness is much harder to access in a desk and chair, with fluorescent lighting and projector screens. This experience has reminded me that this is the foundation of human nature - to be connected to our earth, and to be connected to one another.I am so grateful for this experience and for Susan’s expertise, welcoming energy, and passion for learning outdoors! 

Above all, these preparations offered more than just an opportunity to organize and plan activities. They also created space for us to reflect on everything we have learned throughout this Community Field Experience. Over the past weeks, we have explored the many benefits that gardens can offer students, not only as spaces for growing food and plants, but as environments that foster curiosity, connection, stewardship, and belonging. 

As we prepare for this final workshop, we find ourselves returning to a question that has followed us throughout our time at the Orchard Garden: What is a garden? After visiting many different garden spaces, such as the UBC Botanical Garden, the Nitobe Memorial Garden, the guerrilla garden, and the Orchard Garden, our answers continue to evolve. A garden can be carefully designed or organically developed. It can serve as a place for food production, scientific cultivation, ecological stewardship, learning, or community gathering. Yet across all of these forms, gardens remain places of relationship, intention, and story. 

Perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons we are taking away from this experience: gardens are not simply places where plants grow. They are places where questions grow, where relationships grow, and where learning grows alongside them.

- Kirstin, Katie, and Sara

Getting ready for Solstice & Saturday

Saturday Workshop Preparation By Ladan:

Preparing for our Saturday Workshop has been much more than gathering materials and planning an activity, it has been a journey of curiosity, creativity, and quiet wonder. Every step of the process has reminded me that nature is not only something we observe, but something we can create with, learn from, and cherish.

For my contribution to the workshop, I have been exploring the remarkable seed pods of the Royal Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa). At first glance, these delicate shells seem simple and unassuming, yet they hold endless artistic possibilities. I have been experimenting with different ideas, creating samples that transform these natural treasures into painted wall hangings and unique pieces of jewellery. Each seed pod carries its own texture and character, making every creation beautifully one of a kind.

Part of my preparation has involved testing a variety of artistic mediums and paint types. My goal has been to strengthen the fragile shells while preserving their natural beauty, allowing them to withstand more intricate artistic techniques and creative expression. Every experiment has taught me something new, about the materials, about patience, and about the remarkable partnership between nature and art.

Alongside the creative process, I have also been preparing a small booklet filled with fascinating facts about the Royal Empress Tree. This extraordinary tree is admired around the world for its breathtaking lavender blossoms, its astonishing rate of growth, and its ability to regenerate after being cut back. Beyond its botanical wonders, I have been collecting mythical stories and cultural legends that surround the tree, revealing how it has inspired imagination across generations. These stories remind us that trees are more than living organisms, they are symbols of hope, resilience, renewal, and the deep connection between people and the natural world.

As I prepare for Saturday, I feel grateful for the opportunity to share not only an art activity, but also a story. I hope participants will see these humble seed pods not as fallen fragments of a tree, but as tiny vessels of possibility. Through creativity, conversation, and exploration, something once overlooked can become meaningful, beautiful, and lasting.

This workshop celebrates the simple magic that happens when nature meets imagination. I look forward to seeing hands create, minds wonder, and hearts discover that sometimes the smallest gifts from a tree can inspire the greatest moments of creativity.

Solstice Celebration Prep by Kat:

We have also been busy preparing for our Solstice Celebration, which in many ways feels like a love letter to the Orchard Garden. We are excited to share the magic of this place with others and to showcase the many ways the garden can teach us. By designing and organizing activities around materials found in the garden and the processes we have learned over the past several weeks, we hope to demonstrate the incredible learning opportunities that both the Orchard Garden and outdoor education can provide.

Over the past two days, we have worked closely with our Solstice group to finalize activities, gather materials, plan the food, and organize the décor. One of our biggest concerns has been deciding how much food to prepare and what to make, but after talking it through together, we are all feeling much more confident. We are especially excited to share some of the Orchard's seasonal offerings, including raspberries, lemon balm, and autumn olives, just to name a few. Alongside these treats, we are looking forward to serving garden-infused teas made with ingredients such as foraged blackberry leaves.

We have also spent time preparing materials for our activities. We gathered morning glory vines, dried them, and twisted more than two dozen crowns. We identified several areas where we could responsibly forage wildflowers, which will be an important part of other activities as well. Some materials, however, cannot be harvested too early, as they would wilt or spoil before the event. I was able to thrift serving dishes and decorative items, while others in our group created handmade crafts to enhance the celebration.

Reflecting on the past several weeks, I keep returning to the imagination, focus, and presence that the garden inspires. When the outdoors is intentionally designed as a learning environment, it truly becomes another classroom. For example, during our "Coding in the Garden" workshop, I was surprised by how engaged and present I felt. Mathematics is not usually a subject that naturally captures my attention, yet learning it outdoors completely shifted my perspective. Simply discovering that math could be meaningfully taught in a garden challenged my assumptions about what learning in this space could look like. While many of our experiences were rooted in art, we also explored science, movement, and mathematics in authentic and engaging ways.

As we celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, we cannot help but reflect on how far we have come. We are incredibly grateful to Susan and the Orchard Garden for opening our eyes to what is possible, both in outdoor education and in ourselves.

By Ladan & Kat