Toronto

Written by Dorcas Beaton, member of Metropolitan United Church.

Native species garden

Submitted by the following members of Islington United Church, Toronto: Lorraine McCarthy, Steve Tower and Randee Marquez, Communications Ministry Specialist.

Thanks to the grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Islington United Church was able to create two new native plant garden spaces: a sun-shade garden and a full-sun garden. Here is an overview of the stages of preparation of the spaces, followed by the planting and progression of each garden area.

Creating a plan	Planted!

By Kathleen Davies of St. Cuthbert's Leaside Anglican Church, Toronto.

What a difference a year makes! Our expanded pollinator gardens at St. Cuthbert’s Leaside exploded in this, its second season. Except…so did the weeds.  

Garden Angel volunteers. Photo credit: Kathleen Davies

 Guest post by Sarah Murley, Green Team Co-Leader.

Our Gardens

Our church has always had congregants who love gardening and planting at home, and two years ago we took the plunge to start gardening at church.

Our vision for Wellspring is to have an abundant food and native plants garden that invites and welcomes our neighbours onto our grounds. We want to make our space inviting and fulfilling for human beings, as well as butterflies, birds and wildlife. 

Growing food will feed human stomachs, and growing native plants will feed pollinators and encourage biodiversity within North York. Our property also houses a beehive, which we have enjoyed the past 2 years. Thanks to our TD Friends of the Environment Grant, we were able to expand our existing garden with native plants, and give the bees more to feast on.

Guest blog by Kathleen Davies, garden team member

Hope

It seems that every year at St. Cuthbert’s Leaside Anglican Church a new garden “springs up.”  As we began a second planting season under Covid restrictions, our gardening team needed a little inspiration. Motivated by Communities in Bloom Canada’s pronouncement that YELLOW is the garden colour of 2021, we created a HOPE planter.   It joyfully sits on St. Cuthbert’s front steps for all the community to see.  Our message of HOPE inspired more than our own gardeners…photos of our planter have been shared online and in community news!

Guest blog by Elaine McKee

In the hour when the Holy one, blessed be He, created the first man, He took him and let him pass before all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: "See my works, how fine and excellent they are!
Now all that I have created, for you have I created. Think upon this and do not corrupt and desolate My world, for if you corrupt it, there is no one to set it right after you." 
~Ecclesiastes

Guest blog by Sajeda Khan, Social Services Coordinator

The Faith & the Common Good community garden project is an amazing project. To begin, the excitement of sharing our sacred spaces was marvellous, especially for common ground.

The senior volunteers and gardeners were looking forward to spring and their favourite hobby is to plant plants, especially native plants and vegetables. 

We began with planting the native plants.

Monarda Fistulosa is a wild flower in the mint family, widespread and abundant. It is a native plant of North America. It’s also known as bee balm.

Echinacea Purpurea, commonly called purple coneflower, is a coarse, rough –hairy, herbaceous perennial that is native to most prairies.

Asclepias turnerosa, commonly called butterfly weed, is a tuberous rooted, Missouri native perennial which occurs in dry and rocky open woods, glades, prairies.

Energy efficiency work pays forward for Eglinton St. Georges’ United Church at no cost!

Eglinton St. George's United (ESG Toronto) received $50,700 funding this summer, in order to improve energy efficiency at their building. The total cost of the project was paid for by the funds received. The project is part of an 18-year ongoing greening journey at ESG.  

Shaarei Shomayim Garden

By Nicole Toledano

What am amazing garden we have thanks to the funding we received! Our beautiful garden is located right under our Torah scroll design, a symbol of our religion and our faith.