Now is the time to think about adding more native plants to your garden to help create a haven for wildlife including pollinators, insects and birds. When planning your garden think about how the plants provide food and shelter throughout the season and through all the life stages of each species. You will need plants that provide pollen, nectar, leaves and seeds. If your leaves have chewed markings that is a good thing and shows that it is doing its job.
Sourcing native plants is getting much easier, but you still need to be aware that they don’t come from those who dig up plants from public spaces and forests, are not cultivars and hybrids, are native from the local area and are not an invasive species to allow them to sustain the species that depend on them.
There are many groups that are having native plant sales this month including the North American Native Plant Society (NANPS), Parkdale Horticultural Society, Toronto Botanical Gardens (TBG), Evergreen Brickworks, LEAF and many others. There are also nurseries and garden centres that have native plants for sale throughout the next few months.
You can find a list with links here.
Growing plants and removing invasive species is a popular community activity with many groups organizing projects to help turn public spaces, ravines and private lots into beautiful and productive wildlife habitats. These include the High Park Stewards (register with the city), Toronto Nature Stewards, Community Stewardship Program (Toronto), Toronto Field Naturalists, Pollinator Partnership Canada, LEAF, David Suzuki Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, In the Zone Gardens and many others. Project Swallowtail is a volunteer organization that helps connect native plant gardeners to others in their neighbourhoods to self-organize activities.
You can find links to their websites on the above link and additional information here.
Whatever your capacity for gardening and group activities is there are lots to do to help wildlife, make new friends and enjoy the beauty of native plants.
