It took four LEAF staff members and two full cargo vans to deliver 250 native shrubs to 18 TCHC properties in a single day! All of that time and effort was well worth it to provide TCHC tenants with their new native shrubs.
TCHC tenants submitted requests for their shrubs earlier this year, and with the help of the TCHC Landscape team, planting plans were created for each property. All the shrubs that LEAF provided are native species, which is important because they do a better job at enhancing local biodiversity by providing fantastic food and habitat resources for local pollinators compared to non-native species.
Each tenant also received mulch to ensure the success of their newly planted shrubs. Placing mulch in a ring around a plant helps retain moisture for its expanding roots, provides additional nutrients and deters the invasive plant species from establishing.
Including our deliveries this year, we have distributed almost 1,000 shrubs to 66 TCHC properties over the past five years! This is a huge accomplishment, and we are incredibly grateful to all the tenants who have participated in the program. Together we can enhance the urban forest across the City of Toronto and allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of having native trees and shrubs in their communities.
Even though we have delivered all our shrubs for this year, we can’t wait to be back in 2023 to continue growing the urban forest with TCHC.
The TCHC Planting and Stewardship Initiative is implemented by LEAF, TCHC, and the City of Toronto. It is funded by the City of Toronto's Urban Forestry Grant.
