Growth in Holy Cross Garden

Light shining down from heaven on the garden at Holy Cross.

As I write this, the Holy Cross Eco Ministry nears its first anniversary, and what a blessed year it has been! Deo gratias!

Our eco team has just arrived back from watering our native pollinator garden and our vegetable gardens. Watering these gardens is often a peaceful task: admiring the growing fauna, greeting passersby, and surveying the bees and caterpillars and butterflies who have found a new happy home.

This happy home has its origin in a partnership with Faith and the Common Good (FCG), “a national, interfaith charitable network dedicated to assisting and inspiring religious congregations and spiritual groups of all backgrounds to take collective action in creating more sustainable communities.” (https://www.faithcommongood.org/about_us)

Guided by Donna Lang, FCG’s Toronto Animator, we researched native pollinator plants, and drew our plans for the garden. Many of us had little to no gardening experience—but let this be encouragement for readers with underdeveloped green thumbs: building such a garden is entirely possible, and definitely rewarding.

What has brought this garden to life is the community of generous-hearted people who have gathered in the spring chill to dig and prepare the earth, lay down the soil, and in the warmer weather to plant, to water, and to weed.

Blue Lupin, Hoary Vervain, Butterfly Milkweed, Wild Bergamot, Blazing Star, Purple Coneflowers, and Common Boneset, among others, now beautify a corner of our church grounds. Their fecundity is truly due, in large part, to the nutrient-packed organic soil from Scotts® (their Nature’s Care® Organic Garden Soil with Water Conserve™, to be specific), but the growth, stemming from this enterprise, is not limited to plant life.

First, there is growth in the spiritual life.

Blossoms in the morning sun.

Second, there is growth in community life.

Nature’s Care® Organic Garden Soil with Water Conserve™, provides thorough nourishment for the plants.

A young gardener comes to the rescue of some thirsty plants.

Beyond growing in deeper friendship with members, a real gift, another pleasure of working in the garden has been chatting with neighbours in the community as they pass by. Some are particularly knowledgeable about wildlife and it has been wonderful to learn from them. Let’s hope that our common desire to take care of our beautiful earth continues to unite us and bring forth meaningful change. Together, we can accomplish great things; we can grow.

Below are some pictures of our journey, our members, and our garden.

Members brave the chill to dig our garden plots.

As plans are discussed, seedlings stand nearby, waiting to be planted then members break ground on a sunny spring day.

All four gardens in one frame.

"We would like to thank TD FEF for funding this exciting gardening project"