A few weeks ago, Mark Sherman gave an animated workshop dealing with a variety of things that could happen and change in a garden. It involved the most environmentally friendly ways to deal with weeds, weed identification, tree care and tree identification. This workshop was offered to LEAF’s Garden Stewards who care for our six Urban Forest Demonstration Gardens around Toronto.
The workshop started atop of a hill beside the LEAF Learning Garden, outside our home at the Artscape Wychwood Barns. The weather was sunny with barely a cloud in the sky. We sat in a large circle and made our personal introductions, including what we wanted to learn from the workshop. Then Mark started a very interesting discussion about garden care, beginning with tree care and identification since so many stewards were interested in that topic.
Mark is first and foremost an arborist; therefore, he was very excited to talk about trees even though the workshop wasn’t intended to be exclusively about them. The group’s tree interest led to a big question and answer period, where people asked questions about trees in general or even about trees in their own yard.
After a time, Mark led the discussion back to weeds. He briefly discussed the components of a healthy garden and told us that if we had no weeds in our yard, it was probably because we were using chemical products (which is one of the worst things you can do for the environment). He also told us that clover is the best indicator of a healthy yard.
One of the most interesting things I learned is that weeds are actually a social construct. The term “weed” is just another way of describing something unwanted in a garden. Unwanted plants are usually species that weren’t intended to be included in the garden . A weed is such a general term that it could be applied to the common dandelion, or it could even be used to refer to a shrub or tree.
Mark also explained how garden planning could sometimes go astray, or it could morph. This is especially true in terms of choosing the right species for the right space. For example, in the Learning Garden he showed us how the wild strawberries as well as the Canadian anemone had spread, while other plants had died and were no longer there. The ones that did not survive were mostly perennials. This is part of the organic morphing of the garden, where the end result may differ from the original plan
We then took a walk through the garden and Mark tested us a little on our species identification. He also asked for our opinion on what plants we would consider to be weeds. He was very reluctant to use the word “weed” because some plants had been intentionally planted but had spread to other parts of the garden where they were unwanted. Therefore, some of our favourite native perennials could still be considered weeds.
Overall, it was a very engaging and interesting workshop where each person who attended learned something new! If you would like to become a LEAF garden steward, sign up as a volunteer. We have garden locations in different areas of the city and are always looking to add to our volunteer stewardship teams!
LEAF’s stewardship gardens and workshops are made possible through the support of Ontario Power Generation. OPG has planted more than 6 million trees and shrubs since 2000 and supports family-focused biodiversity events. Learn more at opg.com
Genevieve Theriault is an undergrad student at the University of Toronto, majoring in architectural design and minoring in environmental ethics and human geography. She is interning at LEAF over the summer of 2015.