Please join us for The Pollinator Path Spring Celebration!
When: Saturday, May 31
11a.m. – 12 p.m. Free
@ Daily Bread Food Bank, 121 New Toronto Street, Etobicoke
All are invited to visit The Pollinator Path for the 2025 Grand Re-opening of our pollinator garden. Come tour the garden, explore, and learn all about the native species we grow and their connection to the pollinators we need! You will also learn about the PollinateTO grant that made our self-guided pollinator tour possible. As well, Etobicoke Master Gardener, James (Jim) Graham, will give a brief talk on Soil Health.
All ages welcome. Free parking is available. For more information, please call (416) 580-8728 or visit www.legsetobicoke.ca
Jim Graham Bio:
“Bored with his career as a Quality Engineer, Jim became a member of the Etobicoke Master Gardeners in 2008. Since then his interests have expanded to encompass most types of ornamental garden plants and their propagation. He also enjoys leading nature walks with an emphasis on native plants. He helped found, and designed the layout of the Panorama Community Garden in Rexdale, and also developed and led many lessons at the garden.”
you bee-long in our garden.
come check it out.
Julie, our Pollinator Garden Steward and chief Seed librarian is ready to showcase our new Pollinator Path garden signs.
Photo: Monika Meulman
Learn More about Our Pollinator Path Garden:
We began ‘re-wilding’ this industrial green space in 2017. Many native plants, hundreds of volunteer hours and a grant from PollinateTO later, we now have the vibrant, blooming Pollinator Path you see when you enter the Daily Bread Food Bank gates! From bees and birds and butterflies, to wasps and beetles and ants, pollinators fertilize the plants that supply our food. Visitors are always welcome to walk around the garden and visit the pollinators and the plants. Our interactive map will be linked there soon!
see our Pollinator Path page here: legsetobicoke.ca/pollinator-path-garden
Pollinator Path Celebration Planning and Preparation Basics:
BASICS for growing POLLINATOR PATHS, CORRIDORS, GARDENS
1. Choose Native Plants: Native plants have evolved to thrive in your local ecosystem and are directly beneficial to native pollinators.
2. Provide Continuous Blooms: Select plants that flower at different times of the year to ensure a continuous food source for pollinators throughout the growing season.
3. Plant in Clumps: Grouping similar plants together makes it easier for pollinators to find food and resources.
4. Offer a Variety of Flower Shapes and Colors: Different pollinators are attracted to different flower shapes and colors, so a diverse selection will attract a wider range of insects.
5. Provide Water: Ensure pollinators have access to water by providing a shallow dish, a bird bath, or even a small puddle.
6. Create Nesting and Overwintering Habitats: Allow some areas of your garden to be a bit “wild” with leaf litter, fallen branches, or rough-barked trees, as these can provide shelter and nesting sites for various pollinators.
7. Avoid Pesticides: Even natural pesticides can harm pollinators, so it’s best to avoid them altogether.
8. Consider a Diverse Range of Plants: Include a mix of shrubs, trees, and flowers, with a focus on native varieties, to provide a variety of nectar and pollen sources.
9. Plant for Larval Host Plants: Butterflies and moths rely on specific plants for their larvae, so including these host plants will support their life cycle.
10. Create Safe Watering Areas: Provide shallow water sources, like bird baths or shallow dishes, where pollinators can safely drink.