Flowery fundraiser blooms once again

Garden tour draws neighbourhoods together

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Some people see volunteering as a way to give back to the community, but Ruth Booth has a different perspective.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/06/2022 (1550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Some people see volunteering as a way to give back to the community, but Ruth Booth has a different perspective.

“I seem to be receiving more than I’m giving,” the 77-year-old Charleswood resident says.

Take, for example, the Urban Retreats Garden Tour, Tea, Craft and Plant Sale, an annual fundraiser for 1JustCity. Over the last 20 years, it has given gardening enthusiasts the chance to enjoy a self-guided tour of gardens in various neighbourhoods throughout Winnipeg.

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Ruth Booth, 77, volunteers with the organizing committee for the Urban Retreats Garden Tour, Tea, Craft and Plant Sale, an annual fundraiser for 1JustCity.
JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ruth Booth, 77, volunteers with the organizing committee for the Urban Retreats Garden Tour, Tea, Craft and Plant Sale, an annual fundraiser for 1JustCity.

Booth has been on the tour’s organizing committee since 2010. Although there can be a lot of work involved, it’s also a lot of fun — especially when she gets to volunteer as a host on the tour, which involves sitting in a garden and greeting ticket holders.

“To sit in somebody’s garden, it’s so attractive,” Booth says. “It’s a lovely way of spending three hours in an afternoon or morning.”

The retiree, who was born and raised in England, started volunteering with the tour in 2000.

“It’s just a very uplifting experience,” she says. “People are very enthusiastic because finally we can get outside and just enjoy the outdoors — especially after this winter, which was so long and so cold.”

The tour, which is held the fourth Saturday in June, attracted more than 600 participants in 2019. (Given COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the 2020 and 2021 tours were virtual.) More than 70 volunteers organize and facilitate the day.

This year’s tour takes place in Scotia Heights on June 25. St. John’s Anglican Cathedral (135 Anderson Ave.) will host the tea, craft sale and plant sale.

One of the great things about the tour is that it highlights a different neighbourhood every year, Booth says, exposing attendees to areas of Winnipeg they might not be familiar with.

“The tour is very walkable,” she says. “The fact that you’re walking through a neighbourhood gives you a sense of the community of the area, and that’s important.”

Tickets for the tour cost $20 each and include a map of garden locations.

The event typically raises $19,000 for 1JustCity’s West End Drop-in, formerly known as St. Matthew’s-Maryland Community Ministry. The drop-in offers health and wellness programs to meet basic needs and help individuals and families thrive in Winnipeg’s West End.

Booth has volunteered at the drop-in for more than 15 years, doing everything from greeting guests to using her background in accounting to help folks prepare their income taxes.

“Someone invited me to come down one day and said I might enjoy it. And, of course, as soon as I went there, I did enjoy it. I’ve found I’ve learned a lot from it.”

Booth and her colleagues on the garden tour committee are seeking volunteer hosts for the June 25 event. Hosts work in teams of two, sitting in a lovely garden, greeting and directing ticket holders. Shifts are three hours long and gardening knowledge is not required.

The committee also has an ongoing need for new committee members. For more information, contact gardentourvolunteers@1justcity.ca.

“The organizing committee consists of about 12 creative and strong people, but of course we’re always looking for more people to join us,” Booth says. “We’ll find an area that suits their expertise.”

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca

Aaron Epp

Aaron Epp
Reporter

Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron.

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