Professional members of Landscape Ontario take an active role in their communities across the province, harnessing their expertise, enthusiasm and equipment for volunteer projects that enhance public spaces. Over the next few pages, Garden Inspiration shines a spotlight on the fantastic volunteer projects and events Landscape Ontario professionals are proud to support.
 

Battle of the Atlantic Memorial

In partnership with the Naval Association of Canada (London), Landscape Ontario professionals created a memorial for the Battle of the Atlantic at HMCS Prevost, located at the forks of the Thames River in London, Ont. The gardens are a tribute to the ships and sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy that were lost in the longest running battle of the Second World War. Landscape Ontario members supported the ambitious project with design work, funding, hardscape materials, plants and countless volunteer hours. Level pathways and a safe, solid stairway make the memorial accessible to generations of visitors. If you would like to support this continued project, visit gofundme.com/battleatlanticmem.
 

Garden Days

Landscape Ontario and its members are proud to support this annual country-wide celebration of Canada’s garden culture — a nine-day program filled with activities and events for families, schools and gardening enthusiasts. Garden Days is an opportunity for Canadians to take part in a community garden event, get inspired at a garden centre or public garden or just enjoy their own garden. To participate in your local Garden Days event, visit gardendays.ca.
 

Hamilton Victory Gardens

Landscape Ontario professionals provide financial and volunteer support to the Hamilton Victory Gardens, a volunteer based program where unused urban areas around Hamilton are converted into gardens to grow produce for local food banks and meal programs. Since it began in 2011, over 175,000 pounds of fresh produce have been harvested from 15 garden sites and donated to 13 organizations and programs including Good Shepherd, Mission Services, Neighbour to Neighbour, and Living Rock.

In 2017, the organization partnered with Hamilton Health Sciences’ Hamilton General Hospital (HGH) and Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), to modify their gardens to make them accessible and functional for patients.“We are so thrilled about the new community garden,” says Kathie Elstone, therapeutic recreationist at the Regional Rehabilitation Centre. “Whether our patients are gardeners or not, regardless of the rehabilitation required, we’ll be able to use the garden to help with recovery. Since gardening is a functional activity, it can encourage a patient in a wheelchair to stand or a patient with a prosthetic leg practice their balance.” The HGH Campus Community Garden consists of 11 garden beds at a variety of heights to accommodate working from a wheelchair as well as standing. Hamilton Victory Gardens assisted with the building of the garden and provided a planting plan, and PHRI has set up volunteer sessions to ensure the regular maintenance over time. Visit hamiltonvictorygardens.org to get involved in this great project.
 

Legacy Garden at St. Clair College

Landscape Ontario members and students designed and built a legacy garden on the St. Clair College campus in Windsor, Ont. to celebrate local landscapers who have made an impact in the profession.
 

Day of Tribute

For over a decade, members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Landscape Ontario professionals have worked together to prepare the grounds at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood in Ottawa for Remembrance Day.
 

Cancer Survivor's Park

Volunteering time and experience to beautify and maintain public gardens is a regular activity for Landscape Ontario members living and working in the Ottawa area.
Members maintain the gardens at the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivor’s Park from spring until fall every year.
 

Green project bursaries

Landscape Ontario professionals in the Greater Toronto Area created a bursary program to support community greening projects. The program provided funding for numerous projects in 2017, including: Edible Allan Gardens, Bilton Laneway Collective, Bowery Project, Centre for Social Innovation Annex, CICS Immigrant Resource Centre Community Garden, Courtland Mews Cooperative Homes Community Garden, Frankel Lambert Community Garden, Logie Place Community Garden, Prairie Drive Park Community Garden, Regent Park Community Food Centre, Sunshine Gardeners, Toronto Botanical Garden Pollinator Garden, Toronto Seed Library, and Urban Trees from Seed.
 

Seedy Saturdays at Landscape Ontario

The annual Milton Seedy Saturday is held at Landscape Ontario’s home office in Milton, Ont. This free community event is sponsored by the Milton and District Horticultural Society (MDHS), Seeds of Diversity, Halton Master Gardeners and Landscape Ontario. Visitors enjoy topics presented by a Master Gardener, hands-on demos and Q&A with the experts. Seedy Saturdays were created to provide a place for an annual seed swap, with interesting and heirloom seed varieties available for sharing or purchase. The day is not only an opportunity to exchange seeds, it is also an opportunity to exchange ideas and gets local gardeners well-equipped for spring planting.
 

Come Alive Outside

Landscape Ontario is a proud supporter of various Come Outside Alive events hosted in numerous communities across the province. Green Street Challenges are community events where turf is brought in to cover downtown streets and sports and games are played. The Design Challenge involves college, high school and elementary students working together to design and create new landscapes for their schools. To learn about local events in your community, visit comealiveoutside.com.