Art Meets Nature at Ocean Park Orchard
The Ocean Park Surrey community orchard is buzzing with fresh energy, thanks to a creative initiative blending murals, meditation, and storytelling. Orchard leaders unveiled the project in early August, designed to give visitors a deeper connection to the land and each other.
Hand-painted murals now brighten picnic tables across the orchard, with giant butterflies, bees, and ladybugs decorating the tabletops. Checkerboard benches inspired by picnic blankets add playful charm, while immersive audio meditations offer a calming pause for visitors.
Murals Inspired by Orchard Life
The orchard’s new murals draw directly from its landscape. Shades of lavender, daffodil yellow, orchard green, and sky blue mirror the colours found on site. Each piece celebrates the vibrant role insects and nature play in sustaining the orchard’s ecosystem.
Created by artists and orchard alumni Eva Davies, Georgia Redmond, and Kaija Laird—with support from Brenda Zimmerman and Regula Appenzeller—the murals serve as both art and education. They highlight how vital every bee, butterfly, and ladybug is in maintaining balance within the orchard.
Meditation for the Mind and Soul
Alongside the artwork, visitors can access meditations through QR codes on the tables. Narrated by Christianne Zurowski, three guided experiences—The Art of Noticing, Imagine & Savour, and A Wandering Walk—encourage reflection and mindfulness throughout the year.
These meditations will be updated seasonally, inviting guests to return often, pause in the orchard’s natural beauty, and rediscover its changing landscape.
A Growing Community Legacy
The orchard, located at 22 Avenue and 128 Street, began in 2015 as a vision to transform unused land. After city approval in 2016, fruit trees, berry bushes, flowers, and beehives soon filled the space. Today, it welcomes families, students, and community groups eager to learn and contribute.
Next on the horizon is a refresh of the cob shed—a rustic wood-and-dried-mud structure built by community members. Led by Linda Stanley Wilson, the renovation will echo the mural colours and offer residents opportunities to participate. The project is supported by a Community Enhancement Partnership Program grant from the City of Surrey.
More Than Just an Orchard
For nearly a decade, the orchard has been more than a place for fruit and flowers—it has been a gathering space where art, nature, and people meet. The new murals and meditations reflect a community committed to nurturing both the land and each other.
Stay tuned to Surrey Speak for more updates on how art and community projects are shaping Surrey’s neighbourhoods.
