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Blvd Gardens of East Vancouver

@eastvan_blvd_gardens

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...and the streetscapes they're part of 🗝️
Through the eyes of a Landscape Architect 🧿

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𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥.
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Jai tells me he has been boulevard gardening for nearly the entire 30 years that he’s lived here. “Actually,” he corrects himself “it’s my wife’s boulevard garden. I am just the helper”.

At 90 years old, Jai still appears to be a very effective helper.

Unfortunately I couldn’t verify this with his wife (she wasn’t available during my visit) but I think Jai should give himself more credit: His knowledge on their garden is very strong. Much to my delight, he points out the various vegetables and ornamental plants growing in their garden.

Even more delightfully, he also shares with me the timeline of his life’s journey with sharp acuity.

Jai was born and raised in South Korea, which is where he lived until he finished his masters. He then moved to Germany to continue his studies in theology at the University of Hamburg, where he received his doctorate.

Shortly thereafter, Jai moved to Canada in the 80’s to work at the Avonmore United Church in Edmonton. He worked for the United Church of Canada until he retired 25 years ago.

Jai and his wife moved to Vancouver in the early 90’s. They lived around Metrotown briefly before moving to their current home in the Riley Park neighbourhood in 1992.
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An opportunity to become a Minister at the Renfrew United Church (near E 1st Ave & Renfrew St.) is what brought Jai and his wife to Vancouver.

[𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬] by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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3 years ago

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙡𝙫𝙙 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙨 — 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴.

Last spring, my wife and I were road-tripping to San Diego. Though I have family in the Bay Area and LA, it was my first time in Santa Barbara.

It was the morning of my birthday, and I set out on my own to find some blvd gardens — something I like to do anytime I’m travelling.

A few blocks from our hotel, I stumbled onto something rare: A lovely boulevard garden outside a commercial building. As I began taking photos — already feeling like I’d been given a gift — I was blessed with another one: A chance to meet Will, boulevard gardener and owner of @HighTideSB Glass Studio.

This premier destination for glass pipes and smoke shop items has called this small commercial village, just off Santa Barbara’s main entertainment strip, its home since 2010.

More of an artisan’s guild than a storefront, glassblowers here craft with intention, mentor new artists, and sell only what is handmade — eschewing the mass-produced “gas station glass” found elsewhere.

Will is a true West Coaster. Born in Portland, he learned glass blowing in Eugene, where he moved after highschool. He later moved up to Vancouver, BC in the early 2000s — a pivotal time in the city’s cannabis scene.

“Joints ruled then, few used glass.” Will and his friends set out to change that, introducing glass pipes and glass filters that help preserve the herb’s true flavor and offer a cleaner, healthier smoke.

He spent time at the BC Compassion Club Society, where cannabis activist Hilary Black — one of the most important voices in Canada’s legalisation movement — was leading the charge in its headquarters on Commercial St.

I learn about Black’s amazing story, which since it has origins in East Van, I will digress for a moment to share.

Passionate about the medicinal benefits of cannabis, in the early 90’s Black would bike around Vancouver delivering cannabis to people for medical purposes.

[𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬] by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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a year ago

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

For Megan it began as a “desperate move” to stop the illegal dumping in her back alley, and it only escalated from there 📈

Luckily for her neighbours, Megan is going into her 15th year of boulevard gardening and is showing no signs of slowing down 💪🏽

It began when Megan witnessed the benefits of beautifying the outdoor public spaces around her. Discarded mattresses and household wares would often be dumped in her alley, but since she planted-up that sunny southern facing alley with a mass of English Lavender the dumping stopped 💡

Next, it was the strip of land between her fence and the sidewalk. This city land is called the back boulevard. She had crossed the (property) line, and there was no turning back now. “It was a narrow strip of grass that made no sense and it was a pain to mow”. So Megan tore it up and replaced the grass with more of her favourite plant, lavender 💜

Next, she planted shrubs and perennials under the base of the existing street trees which are Kanzan Cherry Blossoms that were planted by the City a number of years before Megan and her young family moved here, around 15 years ago 🌸

Like me, Megan grew up in a suburban setting then spent most of her adult life living in apartments and townhomes. It wasn’t until relatively recently that she returned to living somewhere with her own dirt to dig into.

“I did a lot of container planting” recalls Megan, as she reflects on that time.

The concept of biophilia says that all humans have an innate desire to grow and sustain living things. Luckily, Megan manifests this desire skillfully in a way that benefits the community 🏘
[𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸]
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1st photo from @jwintsphoto 📸 by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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4 years ago

I had a chance to meet the boulevard gardeners here.

They were excited to be featured as part of my Humans of Blvd Gardens series, where I introduce you to the people responsible for creating the boulevard gardens you see on this feed.

We exchanged messages a couple of times, but schedule conflicts and a busy summer gradually gave way to a busy fall, as we both tried to catch up on everything we’d put on the back burner while trying to enjoy the summer. Somehow, we never managed to make it happen. And that’s OK.

I’ve learned not to get too attached to these stories before they happen. It wouldn’t have been the first time. There have even been a couple of occasions where I’d already photographed someone in front of their boulevard garden, interviewed them, and written most of the caption — only for them to later decide they weren’t comfortable being featured after all.

I completely understand. I can see why some people would be reluctant to have their face photographed in front of their home.

But every now and then, everything comes together. And when it does, those stories become some of my favourite parts of this project.

One of those is Murray.

On the special walking tour I’m hosting with @mountpleasantnh for their 50th anniversary tomorrow, we’ll stop outside Murray’s boulevard garden, and I’ll share why both his garden — and my interaction with him — left such a lasting impression.

Tickets have sold-out (all 85 of them!) but I’ll probably do another tour again next year 😊

Will I see you at tomorrow’s tour?

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📍600 block E 27th Ave
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#eastvanboulevards
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Click➡️ #BlvdGardensOnE27th for more #boulevardgardens on this street by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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20 hours ago

Contest closed! Congratulations @yoonikoh you’ve been randomly selected as the winner 🥳

🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨

Want a free ticket for you and a friend to our special walking tour and picnic this Saturday?

To win this prize valued at $50, you have to:

✅Follow @eastvan_blvd_gardens & @mountpleasantnh

✅Tag a friend who’ll join you on the tour in the comments below 👇🏽

A winner will be randomly chosen tomorrow afternoon (which is also when registration closes!)

More info on this event in the next two slides 👀
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📍2900 block St. Catherines St.
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#eastvanboulevards
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Click➡️ #BlvdGardensOnStCatherines for more #boulevardgardens on this street by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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4 days ago

Some alleys ask you to keep walking. Others convince you to stay awhile.

This one is barely an alley at all. It’s short, tucked away, overflowing with pear trees, raspberries, blueberries, blooming flowers, and a little forested passage that felt like something from a storybook.

There was a light mist hanging in the air, just enough to make everything feel greener and quieter, like the city had decided to speak a little softer.

That’s where I met the person behind East Van Boulevard.

He’s soft spoken in the way people become when they’re comfortable enough not to fill every silence. Calm. Kind. Curious. We were just two dads standing in an alley, noticing whatever the conversation decided was worth noticing.

His seven month old daughter watched from her stroller while we talked, taking everything in with the serious expression babies reserve for adults doing something confusing.

Her dad handed her a raspberry from the alley. She took the tiniest bite, scrunched up her whole face, and looked betrayed by how sour it was. Two seconds that I’ll probably remember for years.

I think that’s what I’ve been chasing with this project. Not the perfect alley or photograph. Just the feeling that if you slow down long enough, people will tell you who they are without trying to.

We talked about unfinished alleys. The polished ones are beautiful, but the unfinished ones have character. They leave room for surprise, for fruit growing where nobody planned it, for conversations that happen because nobody is in a hurry.

Maybe people work that way too. East Van Boulevard, the boulevard gardens, and the walking tours aren’t really about documenting a neighbourhood. They’re about helping people feel connected to one. We also talked about becoming fathers. And about the people who brought them into the world. Watching your partner give birth changes something fundamental. It’s impossible to witness that kind of strength without walking away with a different understanding of what women carry, physically, emotionally, and often invisibly.

Maybe that’s why more fathers are choosing to share more of the early years. It doesn’t feel like reversing roles. taken in Vancouver - Unceeded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territory by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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5 days ago

A big and exciting update to share about the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House 50th Anniversary Walking Tour & Picnic we are hosting…

@WhenTheyFindUs has generously volunteered to photograph the event, helping us capture the people, places, and connections that make our community whole 📸

Speaking of community, the story of this collaboration is a wonderful illustration of that word 🫶

A few years ago, Luis of When They Find Us and I were both presenters at @pechakuchavancouver , which Caroline of @walrushome — who is now volunteering to help organize this event — has had an integral role in for years 👏🏽

It was at that same PechaKucha night that Megan of @perennialgatherings first learned about East Van Blvd Gardens. She later came on one of my walking tours, which is how we met. Now she’s volunteering her time and expertise to lead the clay seed ball workshop at the picnic 🙏🏽

One community event led to new introductions. Those introductions became friendships and collaborations. And now they’ve all come together in support of another community organization, the @mountpleasantnh 💚

All this is a fitting reflection of the missions of both organizations. PechaKucha exists to help people “meet, inspire, and get inspired,” while MPNH has spent the past 50 years “Connecting people, strengthening communities.” 🤝

The word “community” gets thrown around far too easily these days — but in this instance, it’s 𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦! 🤌

These connections were built simply by bringing people into the same room — and seeing what grows from there 🌱

We hope you’ll join us on July 25! by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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10 days ago

Present day on slide 1 🕜
14 years ago on slide 2 🪏
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📍1700 block Lakewood Dr.
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#eastvanboulevards
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Click➡️ #BlvdGardensOnLakewood for more #boulevardgardens on this street by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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12 days ago

Historically, summers here in the Pacific Northwest have felt a lot like today: warm, but not too hot. Mostly dry, but not relentlessly sunny. A passing shower was never much of a surprise, and sustained stretches of hot weather were generally reserved for parts of July and early August — and even then, not every year.

Climate change has altered that rhythm. The warm, dry conditions that once defined the heart of summer now often arrive in June, with heat lingering through July and, increasingly, well into September.

The extra sunshine is certainly welcome, but the consequences aren’t.

Watering restrictions. Greater wildfire risk. Smoky skies and poor air quality. Native plants and wildlife — already under pressure from habitat loss — facing yet another challenge. And for people living in our most built-up neighbourhoods, the urban heat island effect can turn summer heat from uncomfortable into dangerous.

Boulevard gardens are by no means a silver bullet for climate change. But they do help.

Research shows that replacing simple lawn with more layered, diverse planting — like shrubs, perennials, and other vegetation commonly found in boulevard gardens — creates cooler microclimates by providing more shade and increasing evapotranspiration (the natural cooling that occurs as plants release water into the air). Compared with plain lawn, these more structurally complex plantings can play a small but meaningful role in reducing the urban heat island effect.

While a single boulevard garden won’t fix climate change, thousands of them spread across a city, can help make our streets a little cooler, a little more resilient, and a little more livable. by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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15 days ago

It’s hard to believe I’ve never posted this blvd garden before.

It feels especially fitting to do so today because I’m excited to finally announce something I’ve been looking forward to sharing…

On Saturday July 25th, my new blvd garden walking tour — which has only ever been offered once before — is returning as a special fundraiser celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House 🎉

That makes posting this blvd garden all the more appropriate, because the building behind it has been quietly strengthening our community for the past 50 years.

Through its programs, services, and countless acts of care, MPNH has made an immeasurable impact on our neighbourhood, and this blvd garden is just one small reflection of the amazing energy found inside.

It’s also become a meaningful part of my own story. Since 2021, my walking tours and speaking engagements have raised thousands of dollars in support of MPNH, and a few years ago, I joined its volunteer Community Board.

And because this is a celebration — not just a walking tour — we’ve planned a few extra surprises. Following the tour, we’ll gather at Glen Park for a picnic with sandwiches provided by @venniessubshop , ice cream from @earnesticecream , refreshing non-alcoholic drinks from @33acresbrewing , a seedball-making workshop led by @perennialgatherings , and a raffle featuring prizes donated by an incredible group of local businesses, including @arcteryx , @walrushome , @dlchicken , @flourist , @mimokoceramics , @welksonmain , @eugene_choo and more!

A huge thank you to @greentheorydesign and @wellhealth whose generous sponsorship has helped make this event possible, as well as Vennie’s Sub Shop, Earnest Ice Cream, 33 Acres, and all of the businesses that have donated food, drinks, raffle prizes, and their support.

🎟️ Tickets are $25, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the MPNH.

Registration is available through the link in my bio, and more event details can be found on slides 2 and 3. Hope to see you there! by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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17 days ago

Bless this boulevard garden — and the sweet granny behind it🥹

Her name is Juginder (she goes by Jay) and she lives just a few houses down from me 🏘️

A couple of months ago, I noticed smoke billowing from her backyard and immediately ran over. By the time I arrived, other concerned neighbours and passersby were already banging on doors and windows to make sure everyone knew there was a fire and got out safely ⚠️

The fire trucks were on their way, and thankfully I saw Jay eventually come outside — but not after she told us she thinks she’d managed to contain the fire 🙏🏽

Since there wasn’t much else I could do, I remembered that her daughter and her family live just a couple of blocks away. I ran over and knocked on their door to tell them what happened — beginning by quickly reassuring them that Jay was okay and that the fire didn’t appear to be too serious. Together, we rushed back to her house 🏃‍♂️

By then, at least three big fire trucks had arrived. Seeing that, I began second-guessing myself, worried that I’d downplayed the situation 🚒

Thankfully, everything turned out okay, and Jay was able to return home the very next night 💚
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📍1000 block E 10th Ave
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#eastvanboulevards
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Click➡️ #BlvdGardensOnE10th for more #boulevardgardens on this street by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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18 days ago

Mixed-Use Monday! Featuring one of my favourite Neighbourhood Plazas.

Neighbourhood plazas like this one at Main St. & E 21st Av make perfect sense beside mixed-use buildings.

A mixed-use building combines homes with ground-floor shops, cafés (like @coco_on_main whose sign is peek-a-booing in the corner) restaurants, or other businesses, creating more walkable, vibrant neighbourhoods.

According to the City of Vancouver, neighbourhood plazas are places to gather, rest, socialize, and connect — supporting local businesses, community events, and stronger neighbourhoods.

As our city becomes denser, spaces like these become increasingly important. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg called them “third places” — the spaces between home and work where people can relax, meet neighbours, and build community.

Mixed-use buildings bring people and different uses together physically, but neighbourhood plazas bring them together socially.

They help foster community in dense urban areas — where it’s often harder to achieve — by creating welcoming places where everyone is welcome to pause, connect, and simply enjoy being part of the neighbourhood 🤝
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📍100 block E 21st Ave
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#eastvanboulevards
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Click➡️ #BlvdGardensOnE21st for more #boulevardgardens on this street by @eastvan_blvd_gardens

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19 days ago