Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 17/99) - People all over Yellowknife are reaping the rewards of hours of hard work -- tilling, planting weeding and tending to plots of precious black dirt in hopes of a bumper crop of vegetables.

From tiny seeds to bushel baskets of tasty homegrown veggies, gardeners take special pride in the produce they produce.

Vera Raschke is the site manager for the Yellowknife Community Garden Collective, a group of locals who cultivate a plot of land out on Kam Lake Road.

The collective shares half of the bounty with local shelters, and as well as helping out and putting food on their own tables, Raschke says the gardeners just enjoy working the soil.

"It's a combination of just having the fresh vegetables and having a bit of dirt to putter around in," Raschke said.

"So many people have grown up on farms or around gardens and they miss that."

"Some like the outdoors aspect of gardening and others just like the fresh vegetables -- they taste a lot better than any you can buy in the store."

Raschke also cultivated her own plot at the collective, growing the more hearty vegetables that she enjoys eating.

"We had potatoes, beets, cabbage, turnips, chards and a bit of dill," she said. "We grew beans too, but the frost got the beans before we could."

The growing season was not as productive as others she's had in her four years with the collective.

"We didn't have as good a season as we have had other years," she said. "Last year we had an early start and such a hot summer, so in comparison this year doesn't look very good."

Anne Gunn takes great pride in her Old Town garden, but like Raschke, says this summer was too cool for Yk gardens.

"It just wasn't hot enough," Gunn said. "I did very well with potatoes, greens like Swiss chard and lettuces."

She also gardens for the fun and the flavour, but also because the garden offers a greater choice than the grocer.

"There's no beating the flavour," she offered.

"And it's fun growing them -- getting the combination of sun and soil just right, but also the choice."

"All the different varieties of lettuce, beans and fresh herbs, there's just no comparison," she said.