Location: 2 locations in Dovercourt Park; near Bartlett and Fernbank, and Salem and Fernbank.

A heartfelt thank you to The Horticultural Societies of Parkdale & Toronto for their generous grant, which has helped make our local pollinator garden even more vibrant and thriving!

Thanks to this support, we were able to plant 5 Sumac bushes, one Nannyberry and 3 New Jersey tea bushes at the Bartlett Garden on the northwest side of Dovercourt Park. In the northeast end of the park garden we added 2 Grey Dogwoods, 1 Nannyberry and 4 New Jersey Tea shrubs. All established well, thanks to generous rainfall this summer. 

Nannyberry planted beside the alliums.

Unfortunately, it appears 2 of the New Jersey Tea shrubs were stolen from one of the gardens. We hope that a third one in that area will have managed to survive, likely because it was planted among taller plants. Fortunately that was our only loss. As for theft prevention, we don’t have concrete solutions yet beyond staying as vigilant as possible.

New Jersey Tea plants freshly planted... but not for long.

This challenge has also reminded us of another ongoing issue: protecting young seedlings from curious (and trampling!) pups. These hurdles bring us to exciting news—we’ve applied for another grant from PollinateTO!

If successful, we hope to use it for much-needed signage and perhaps a fence to deter both theft and dog-related disruptions.

Signage is a top priority for us, as we’d love to educate the community about the incredible pollinator plants we’re growing, the vital role they play, and the invasive species that need addressing (many of which can be found in neighboring gardens).

If you’ve discovered any creative ways to address garden theft, trampling, or other challenges, we’d love to hear your insights! Thank you again for your continued support—it means the world to us and the pollinators we’re working so hard to nurture.

- Gabrielle Bonneau, Karen Carrillo, Skai Leja