Therapeutic Horticulture Program PEI

07/30/2026

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07/30/2026

07/29/2026

Today we celebrated our final session of the season with the TAJ Adult Day Program! We started the day by hanging the beautiful sign participants created for their trellis garden—a special finishing touch to a space they've worked so hard to grow and care for.

We then harvested the Swiss chard, lettuce, and radishes from their raised garden bed before spending some time picking fresh raspberries. To end the day, we harvested zucchini from the garden and baked delicious chocolate zucchini muffins together from scratch.

It's been amazing to watch participants plant, nurture, and harvest their own food while building confidence, learning new skills, and creating lasting memories. Thank you to everyone who joined us this season—we're so proud of everything you accomplished and can't wait to see you back in the garden again! 💚🌿🥬🫐🥒🧁

07/23/2026

The raspberries are ready, and so was our QCRS group! Rain was on its way, but not before we got a good morning in.🌧️

We started outside with some upkeep in their straw bale garden, then moved on to picking a bowlful of fresh raspberries. After that we headed inside for the rest of the morning, learning how to properly trim basil and turning it into a batch of homemade pesto.

We also potted up nasturtiums and other flowers that this group seed started during one of their earlier sessions. Those pots are headed for the bench in the memorial garden, it’s satisfying to see a project that started as tiny seeds end up somewhere it'll be seen and enjoyed all season.

Raspberries, pesto, and a full circle moment with the flowers, this group covered a lot of ground before lunch. Great work today, QCRS!

07/23/2026

A little rain never stops a good day in the garden.🌧️

Our TAJ Day Program group joined us for a morning full of hands-on projects.

We started by cooking up a batch of homemade strawberry haskap jam. 🍓 Then we made our own teabags using raspberry leaf, chocolate mint, apple mint, chamomile, and lemon balm, harvested and dried right here in the garden over the past few weeks, some of it by this very group. There's always something brewing around here.

Everyone took home their bleach tie-dye shirts they made a few weeks back, each one printed with leaves and flowers from the garden and completely one of a kind. 🌿👕

Not a bad way to spend a rainy morning. We're already looking forward to the next one.

07/17/2026

Every season brings new faces to the garden! 🌱

We were so happy to recently welcome the TAJ Teen Day Program for their very first session with us. Participants started with a tour, getting to know the different beds, what we grow here, and what happens in this space throughout the season.

Then, to cool off on a very hot afternoon, we used strawberries grown right here in the garden to make a fresh strawberry purée and spooned it over vanilla ice cream. 🍓🍦 Tasting something that came out of a bed you just walked past is a pretty good way to beat the heat, and a pretty good introduction to the garden too.

First sessions are all about getting comfortable in a new space. We're so glad to have TAJ with us this summer and can't wait to see what the rest of the season brings!

07/16/2026

There's always something new happening in the garden!

Last week, our QCRS group harvested a variety of fresh herbs from our herb garden before carefully destemming them and placing the leaves into our food dryers. Drying herbs is a great way to preserve their flavour and aroma so they can be enjoyed long after the growing season.

We also got a head start on the next stage of the garden by sowing more seeds, including squash, rutabaga, and melons. It's exciting to watch our garden continue to grow, one seed at a time!

Every visit brings new opportunities to learn, work together, and experience the many therapeutic benefits of gardening. We can't wait to see these new seedlings thrive!

07/08/2026

Another wonderful day with TAJ in the garden.

Today, participants harvested the radishes they direct sowed just four weeks ago, seeing firsthand how their hard work and patience paid off. After harvesting, we weeded the raised bed together and direct sowed another crop of radish seeds, keeping the garden growing for the next harvest.

We also got creative by making bleach tie-dye shirts using leaves and flowers collected throughout the garden. Each shirt turned out completely unique, with beautiful botanical prints that participants can take home as a special reminder of their time in the garden. 🌿👕

To wrap up an amazing day, we made refreshing strawberry lemonade from scratch and enjoyed some delicious homemade strawberry shortcake that Courtney made for everyone to share. 🍋🍰 It was the perfect way to celebrate a day of gardening, creativity, and spending time together.

06/26/2026

06/26/2026

What a busy day with QCRS! 🌿🫐

Participants spent time harvesting haskap berries and rhubarb from the garden before heading to the kitchen to make a delicious homemade rhubarb compote. The compote was enjoyed over ice cream, making for a sweet reward after a morning of harvesting and food preparation.

We also created simple bird treats using recycled toilet paper rolls coated in peanut butter and rolled in bird seed. Once finished, we hung them throughout the garden for our feathered visitors to enjoy.

From harvesting fresh produce to caring for local wildlife, today was filled with hands-on learning, creativity, and plenty of opportunities to connect with nature. 💚🐦