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Gharmai Bagaicha Program 2026: Celebrating Our Community Champions
Every spring, something quiet and beautiful happens in the backyards, balconies, and front porches of Nepalese Canadian families across the Greater Toronto Area: gardens come alive. This year, Nepalese Canadian Community Services (NCCS) set out to celebrate that quiet beauty in a big way — and the result was the Gharmai Bagaicha (Home Gardening) Challenge 2026.
A Community Rooted in Green
Between April 30 and June 15, 2026, 20 participating families opened their homes and their hearts, transforming everyday spaces into lush, vibrant green sanctuaries. From flowering balconies to full backyard vegetable patches, each garden told its own story of patience, creativity, and a deep-rooted love for nature.
The NCCS team had the privilege of visiting these gardens in person, and it's safe to say every single one of them was inspiring. The dedication families poured into their spaces — often balancing full-time jobs, family life, and Toronto's short growing season — was evident in every leaf and blossom.
Celebrating Our Seven Winners
Out of the 20 families who took part, seven stood out to our judges and were honoured with the Gharmai Bagaicha Award across their respective categories:
- 🌿 Bhagwati Acharya
- 🌿 Chandra Pokhrel
- 🌿 Lilen Gurung
- 🌿 Poonam Mander
- 🌿 Ramesh Bhandari
- 🌿 Shova Wagle
- 🌿 Sumitra Pyakurel
Congratulations to each of you! Your gardens didn't just capture the hearts of our judges — they captured the spirit of what this program is all about: bringing our community together through a shared love of growing things.
More Than a Competition
While the awards recognized seven outstanding gardens, the true achievement of the Gharmai Bagaicha Program belongs to all 20 families who participated. Every entry — award-winning or not — reflected hours of care, a willingness to share personal spaces with the wider community, and a genuine passion for making our neighbourhoods greener and more welcoming.
This kind of grassroots initiative is exactly what NCCS strives to build: opportunities for our community to connect, celebrate, and grow together — literally and figuratively.
Looking Ahead
To everyone who registered, planted, watered, and welcomed our team into their gardens — thank you. You've helped prove that home gardening isn't just a hobby; it's a way of building community, one backyard at a time.
We're already looking forward to making next year's Gharmai Bagaicha initiative even bigger, better, and more exciting. If this year's gardens are anything to go by, we can't wait to see what our community grows next.
Congratulations once again to our awardees and to every single family who took part. Your hard work and love for nature keep our community blooming!
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