It’s been a while since I’ve had a moment to sit down and write a blog update. And that’s because we’ve been busy — not just working in the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard, but laughing, learning, digging, planting, pruning… and having a lot of fun together.
This spring has been all about teamwork, and we’re feeling the love in the orchard. Our two new superstar pruners, Carolyn and Eleanor, both graduates of the Certificate in Fruit Tree Care course, have done lots of pruning. From our plums to our sour cherries, these trees are looking healthier and happier thanks to their thoughtful cuts and attention to detail.
We also welcomed a new seedling peach tree into the orchard this year! It’s replacing one of the trees we lost in recent seasons. Now, we all know that peaches can be tricky in Toronto, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. This young tree is off to a strong start, and we’re hoping it proves to be hardy enough to thrive in our little urban oasis.
Of course, with spring comes weeding, and our pollinator garden needed some serious TLC. It had become overrun with cherry suckers and volunteer trees, including some pretty tough Manitoba maples. Cherry suckers shoot up from the roots of our established trees, so those we could snip back with hand pruners. But the seedling trees? Those had to be dug out at the root. It was hard work, but the team tackled it with enthusiasm.
Speaking of plants, Giselle brought a wonderful surprise this season. She started way too many native plant seedlings at home, and instead of letting them go to waste, she organized a plant sale in the orchard. We promoted it on our email list and in a few local Facebook groups — and the turnout was amazing. Thanks to her generosity and green thumb, we raised $244! That’s a huge help toward our annual goal of $500 to bring in high-quality compost for the orchard and garden.
The blossoms this spring have been absolutely stunning — and even our apricot trees, which had a tough time last year, are bouncing back beautifully. We’ve mulched, we’ve pruned, and we’ve welcomed some new faces to the team, including a potential new volunteer who might be joining us in the weeks ahead.
So if you’re in the neighborhood, come by and say hello. You’ll find our stewardship dates in this post. Whether you want to pull a few weeds, join in on pruning, or just sit under a tree and enjoy the blossoms, we’d love to see you.
Scroll down to check out some of the photos from this season — and don’t forget to email us at growingforgreen (at) gmail.com if you’d like to get involved.
Susan Poizner is one of the volunteers for The Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard in Toronto. She is the creator of the fruit tree care education website OrchardPeople.com. Susan is the author of four fruit tree care books including Grow Fruit Trees Fast: A Beginner’s Guide to a Healthy Harvest in Record Time. She is also the host of the Orchard People podcast and an ISA Certified Arborist.