Four are all that remain of 60-some-odd taps that once watered the growing grounds in a popular Saanich park.

When the beds are blooming, and growing, the area fills with gardeners, visitors and students from the nearby art, photography or nature classes, Agnes Street Gardeners' Association president Cathy Wetton told the Saanich B次元官网网址.

With water turned off and growing dormant, that section of Glanford Park is predictably quiet over the winter. The only visitors this time of year are a society volunteer showing around a potential new gardener, or the occasional dog and accompanying human.

With eight plots up for grabs this year, it was one of those walks B次元官网网址� showing around someone from the 140-person wait-list B次元官网网址� they noticed something amiss.

B次元官网网址淪uddenly we noticed, as weB次元官网网址檙e walking around, all the taps are gone. We believe it was on the weekend,B次元官网网址� Wetton said.

With 190 gardeners working more than 100 plots, the brass taps were dispersed on standpipes B次元官网网址� screwed on in pairs B次元官网网址� throughout the site to access each of the 500 and 1,000 square-foot plots.

B次元官网网址淎bout 56 or 60 taps went missing,B次元官网网址� Wetton said. B次元官网网址淪ome of them, when they were unscrewing it snapped off the pipe.B次元官网网址�

The community garden site, now leased from the District of Saanich, has been around for 45 years in continuous operation. It started with 25 plots, now up to 120.

B次元官网网址淪ome of those taps may actually be from 1978,B次元官网网址� Wetton said.

SheB次元官网网址檚 had a steep learning curve since that Tuesday afternoon when she started calling around the local metal recyclers. They told her the payout on brass is something in the range of $2.80 a pound right now. Wetton is also keeping an eye on online sales forums to watch for 60 taps coming up for sale. They also opened a file with the Saanich Police Department, which asks anyone with information to call the non-emergency number, 250-475-4321, and cite file number 25-481.

The garden plots neighbour the Victoria Horseshoe Club and Prospect Lake Soccer Club in busy Glanford Park, which includes a soccer field, play court and playground.

B次元官网网址淧eople just walk through our garden all the time. ItB次元官网网址檚 a big dog walking area, itB次元官网网址檚 a dogs off-leash park which means the dogs run everywhere. It also means the dogs chase the deer, so almost no deer appear now at the gardens because they train the babies that itB次元官网网址檚 not safe,B次元官网网址� she said, highlighting the positive. B次元官网网址淯nfortunately itB次元官网网址檚 also a homeless overnight sheltering park, which means we get quite a number of tent encampments.B次元官网网址�

The non-profit society runs on a shoestring budget, charging $50 a year for the 500-square-foot plots and $100 a year for the 1,000. ThereB次元官网网址檚 budget for a toilet, insurance and water. The bulk of improvements and maintenance is done by volunteers.

B次元官网网址淩eally we had about $250 in our water repair budget, we estimate this is going to cost between $900 and $1,200 to replace,B次元官网网址� Wetton said. B次元官网网址淣ow of course we donB次元官网网址檛 really want to replace them B次元官网网址� screw in new taps B次元官网网址� because they could get unscrewed also and be gone before we need to start gardening in the spring.

B次元官网网址淢embers will have to come up with the money to replace the taps.B次元官网网址�

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