By Michael Thomas
Inaugural Birch Cliff Garden Club meeting
Birch Cliff’s new gardening club has big plans to spruce up the neighbourhood.
The club launched at its first meeting last Tuesday at Taylor Memorial Library with about a dozen people in attendance and refreshments on hand for everyone.
Sheila Halls, who’s lived in the neighbourhood for almost 35 years, is one of the two people spearheading the project.
“I am a master gardener graduating this year after two years of training. What a master gardener does is go out to the public and give information and education on gardening,” Halls said.
Her gardening partner is Christy Aitchison who moved here from the US 14 years ago and said she loves it in Canada.
“I love playing in the dirt. I always loved plants and flowers. I just want to start something in the neighbourhood and grow it as a Canadian.” Aitchison said.
Butterfly project
Aitchison said this summer the Birchcliff Garden Club hopes to cooperate on a national butterfly project and possibly also grow vegetables for the Bluffs Food Bank next door.
The Butterflyway Project is a citizen-led movement spearheaded by David Suzuki that is growing highways of habitat for bees and butterflies through neighbourhoods in communities across Canada, she said.
The project is looking for help from the community to build a butterfly garden/path through Scarborough as it is in the butterfly’s migratory path.
“Any interested schools, churches, or local business in the area that are interested in hosting a butterfly garden can contact the Birch Cliff Gardening Club so that we can work together,” Aitchison said.
Another of the club’s ideas is to grow veggies for the Food Bank. This is an idea that they would like to consider in the future as the club grows.
“The major thrust of that idea is that we want to support the community, and the ideal way for us to do this is in an organic manner,” Aitchison said.
The club is all about the neighbourhood and wants to get the schools on board as well.
Taylor Memorial Library garden
“We are here to encourage the enjoyment of gardening in our neighbourhood to give back to the neighbourhood in community projects, children’s projects and working with the community.” Halls said.
The Birchcliff Garden Club has lots of plans including partnering with the library to work with them on their back garden.
The club plans to beautify the space they share with the community from a horticultural perspective. Their knowledge and elbow grease will enhance and make this a more welcoming space, they said.
“As far as I know we are the first gardening club in this community,” Aitchison said.
This garden club can be reached on social media through Facebook, Instagram and also has a website and a monthly newsletter is coming soon.
