Bumble bee on Purple-flowering Raspberry.
by Sarah M.L. Walker
Our garden is a food forest, with domesticated edibles intermingled with (sometimes edible to humans) native species. Our property is large (one of the big lots on Pleasant Park near Alta Vista) and the pollinator plants are distributed throughout. Forest Garden Friends is also the name of our nature-based home daycare.
Each year I try to add new native, pollinator and wildlife-friendly plants. I’m also planning to grow extra native pollinator plants to share with others in my neighbourhood and help them get started on their own pollinator gardens.
I am also part of the Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway project, and I’ll be offering tours of the property.
I’ve included photos of our Clove Currant bush (Ribes odoratum), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Ground nut (Apios americana), Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), and one of my beloved “edimentals”: Black Keyes tomato. Not shown are any of the many other much-loved native species, including Elderberry, Fox Grape, Fireweed, Nannyberry, Trout Lily, Purple Flowering Raspberry, and many more.
Bloodroot
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Our garden is a food forest, with domesticated edibles intermingled with native species.
Clove Currant
Black Keyes tomato
Groundnut (or Potato Bean)