Newsletter #17 - Dec 2022 |
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Help protect pollinators in Mississauga - share this newsletter with friends and family! |
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Above: Seed season! Collecting seeds from a New England aster is tricky – they stagger their bloom/seed maturity time on the same flower head. We visit the plants and gather seeds at intervals during the season to make sure we get the latecomers too. This will ensure diversity in their offspring. |
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Message from the President Dear BB Members and Supporters, As I write this, hundreds of freshly-collected native aster seeds are drying in trays in my studio, waiting to be cleaned and stored. Eighty-six million years of surviving challenges brought Mississauga's wild asters to this time and place. Each small seed knows how to make a tough, drought-resistant plant that for many years will contribute its roots, stems, leaves, flowers, more seeds, and more plants to our local ecosystem. It will feed and shelter hundreds of wildlife species up and down the food chain, clean our air, restore our soil, and conserve our water. If you have any doubt that your native plant garden will make an important contribution in facing today's environmental challenges, take heart! Given a chance to grow, your garden is a far-reaching powerhouse of environmental protection. Thank you, members, volunteers and supporters, for your amazing work in helping us build native habitat corridors that foster the wellbeing of pollinators, plants and people throughout our city. Warmest wishes from all our BB team for a safe and happy holiday season! Cheers, Jeanne |
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Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good. - Jochen Zeitz Do more good — join our efforts to provide habitat for our threatened native bees, butterflies and other wildlife species: Become a member Apply for a boulevard garden Take a workshop (2023 schedule coming in January) |
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Don't have a native plant garden yet? So, what are you waiting for...? Apply for a 2023 boulevard garden! |
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We are now accepting applications from our members for the coming year's gardens. So much better than grass – beautiful, easy-care, conserves water, supports endangered bees and butterflies! - what’s not to love? Left: Wild bergamot growing in Rob's new BB garden, planted this June. It doesn't take long to grow a garden beloved by pollinators - and people! Photo: Rob Chiasson | | |
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BB volunteer seed collection teams met 3 times for excursions to local sites where we gathered seeds from native wild prairie and meadow plants. The entire process of collecting, saving and sowing native seeds is a true delight. If you have native plants in your garden, we encourage you to give it a try! Below: BB seed collectors Alan, Archna, Mohan and Aranya. |
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Some tips: Obtain permission from the landowners/site managers. Collect only native species common to our area, such as New England aster. Collect only small amounts (1% or less) from sites where there are at least 50 to 100 plants. Read our Ten-Step Guide for Native Seed Collection here>>
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Our 4th Annual AGM was held on Oct. 27th Meeting highlights: Members elected our two new Board members Archna Gupta and Jacqueline (JP) McKernan. Welcome aboard, Archna and JP! You can find their bios on our website's Meet Our Team page here>> Catherine and Neil Fleming were awarded Garden Stewards of the Year Their beautiful native habitat garden, beginning with their boulevard in 2019, now has expanded to front and back yards. This year they served on the garden committee and grew more than 600 seedlings for use by many other garden stewards city wide. Our two Outstanding Volunteer Awards were presented to Heather Raithby Doyle for her ongoing and extensive contributions to our newsletter and help with our plant distribution this spring; and also to Rita Bloem in deep appreciation for her vital work in project scheduling and managing plant intake from propagators and distribution to garden stewards this spring
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| | Garden Stewards of the Year Catherine and Neil Fleming |
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| | Outstanding Volunteer Heather Raithby Doyle |
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| | Outstanding Volunteer Rita Bloem |
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The meeting ended with this slide presentation, which featured members' wonderful gardens, our busy volunteers and this eventful year's garden and outreach activities. Enjoy! |
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Victory Park Pollinator Garden update |
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We are very pleased that the new pollinator garden at Victory Park in Malton weathered this long dry summer just fine, thanks to the attention of local residents and Parks and Forestry staff. The raised beds and sign were designed and constructed by the City of Mississauga, and BB provided the planting design and the seeds. BB volunteers worked together with city staff to sow the seeds last fall. Photos: L: by Murray Moore; R: Wayne, Murray, and Mary Ellen admiring the garden and its new sign. |
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Our Community Greenhouse Feasibility Study Blooming Boulevards, together with consultant teams of Hoffmann Hayes and Agritecture, is developing an accessible community greenhouse plan for individuals and organizations who share a common goal: to create a more sustainable city by 1) growing native plants that mitigate pollinator habitat loss, and 2) growing vegetables that mitigate CO2 and enhance food security. The work is being generously supported by the Trillium Foundation's Resilient Communities Fund. |
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For two months we collected surveys where we reached out to potential Mississauga stakeholders and policymakers. Thank you for the good response! Now we are assessing responses to questions on engagement and leads on potential City sites and/or existing greenhouse structures that could be refitted or moved. Ideal sites have potential to provide: Indoor space for growing plants, plus office, storage, and education space Sufficient parking nearby Accessible Public transit Accessible washrooms nearby Outdoor growing space
Survey results will be ready soon, and then on to the concept development stage! Stay tuned! |
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Left: Jeanne McRight and Lorraine Johnson at an Urban Agriculture event held at the Creative Hub 1352 on November 10, where there were opportunities for community groups to connect and talk about BB's community greenhouse project plans. |
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Garden BuzzNative gardener to-do list: December Leave your leaves, seed heads and stems. They provide shelter and food for overwintering butterflies, moths, bees, birds and other valuable insects and wildlife. More info here>> Collect seed when it matures, dry and either sow outdoors now, or save and stratify in your fridge during the winter months, then sow mid-spring. Winter outdoor propagation tips can be found here>> and here>> Protect plants against hungry nibblers - Rabbits love tender young plants. Long-lasting, non-toxic spray repellents (like Bobbex or PlantSkydd) can be effective, as well as wire cages (higher than the snow line) around young trees and or shrubs that may be eaten during winter months.. Read - Great for gift-giving! Widely available in online book stores or ask at your local library for these gems: A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators: Ontario and Great Lakes Edition by Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs by Robert E. Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough The Regenerative Garden: 80 Practical Projects for Creating a Self-Sustaining Garden Ecosystem by Stephanie Rose
Get the iNaturalist app for your smartphone to help identify and report sightings of wild fauna and flora.
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To all BB garden stewards and volunteersYou're invited to be part of our private Facebook group where Blooming Boulevards' garden stewards, BB volunteers and member native plant growers can connect with each other. Group experts are available to answer your questions. Share photos, observations, tips and questions and learn together in this private members-only group! Find out more/join here>> |
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We'd love your help! Year-round volunteer opportunities |
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Something for everyone! Here are some of the interesting chances to get involved with a team of like- minded, dedicated people who will welcome you. Training and mentoring is offered as part of our volunteer programs. |
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Join our Board of Directors! We want to add members to our Board of Directors and encourage expressions of interest from our Mississauga membership. In particular, we need a new Director who can take on the role of secretary. If you would like to join our lively, active and interesting board, please contact Jeanne at info@bloomingboulevards.org for more information. |
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We also need Helpers needed who would like to work with plants directly and/or help with our spring plant distribution and plant sale. Do you have experience with PR initiatives and/or writing for publications? Please get in touch - we need help getting the word out as we increase focus on developing and extending our programs in the upcoming year. We are looking for people with leadership and communication skills and enough free time to help with our outreach activities. It's an exciting time to get involved in our growing organization! |
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Thank you! Blooming Boulevards is deeply thankful to have the support of the City of Mississauga, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and our community partners the Riverwood Conservancy, the Mississauga Master Gardeners, the Cloverleaf Garden Club, ACER, and Ecosource. A huge thanks to all our members, volunteers, supporters and donors who continue to help us provide habitat to pollinators and protect the wild plants and animals that share our urban neighbourhoods. We can't do this without you!
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Our 2022 - 2023 Board of Directors Jeanne McRight, Founding President Sheila Cressman, Secretary Mary Jean Kucerak, Treasurer Wayne Cardinalli Archna Gupta Angela Jordan Jacqueline McKernan Murray Moore Pamela Sleightholm Communications Jeanne McRight Pamela Sleightholm Heather Raithby Doyle Photography (unless otherwise noted) Jeanne McRight Strategic Advisor Douglas Markoff |
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Blooming Boulevards is an incorporated Ontario not-for-profit organization and a thankful recipient of funding from the City of Mississauga and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. |
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