Spring is finally here! The sun is out, the weather is warm, and that means it’s time to start planting. As LEAF’s new summer intern, I was very excited to step outside of the office and get my hands dirty. We started the day off by collecting the perennials and carefully loading them into the car before making our way to the LEAF demonstration gardens outside of Bathurst and High Park TTC Stations. These Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens are dutifully maintained by teams of volunteers that plant, weed, and water the sites.
Before planting, we had to prepare the area by evenly spreading out the monstrous pile of topsoil over the planned site so that it was 2-3 inches deep. Next, we decided on where to best situate each perennial in the garden, keeping in mind how they would grow and bloom over time. Then, with the help of all the volunteers present, roughly 12 new species of native plants were added to each garden, some of which included fireweed, lowbush blueberries, wild chives, and switchgrass. A round of weeding and pruning was also done to help tidy up the existing garden area by pulling out weeds and invasive plants, and prunng off any dead or damaged branches on the shrubs.
The mulch was then spread around the garden, ensuring that the new flowers, grasses, and shrubs would encounter as little stress as possible during their transition from pots to the ground. Mulch retains moisture, controls soil temperatures, adds nutrients to the soil, and inhibits the growth of weeds, making life a little easier for the new plants. Volunteer-made garden stakes were put into the ground before a round of watering concluded the planting party.
Reflecting back on the day, it was an extremely rewarding experience for me. Not only was I able to learn firsthand just how much work is involved in maintaining and caring for a garden, but I also met hard-working individuals who were passionate about gardening. The Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens illustrate the fact that citizens can take an active role in improving their communities by simply contributing with small acts like these.
A round of thanks goes out to our wonderful group of garden stewards! If you would like to become part of the volunteer team and care for one of our Demonstration Gardens, please sign up to become a LEAF Volunteer!
LEAF’s Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens are supported Ontario Power Generation’s Biodiversity Program and the Toronto Transit Commission.
Truc-Lam Tran is LEAF’s summer Volunteer and Stewardship Intern. She is currently majoring in Environmental Studies and Forest Conservation at the University of Toronto and is set to graduate in 2017.