The Leaflet – December 2021
Dear Friend,
It has been another busy couple of months in the park, and we’re looking forward to welcoming you, safely, into the conservatory over the holiday break.
If the weather outside is frightful, please stop by for a wander through the conservatory for a festive boost over the holidays. See drifts of poinsettias, beautiful cyclamen, and spectacular amaryllis blooms. We are open every day from 10am – 4pm, and are following COVID-19 protocols (masks on at all times and physical distancing) to keep everyone safe.
Here’s a brief summary of what’s been keeping us busy in the park:
It was a busy fall for FOAG volunteers. Our team worked with many local families to plant a beautiful new native plant garden in the playground for bees, butterflies, and birds thanks to the support from a Pollinate TO grant. Volunteers working in the edible garden donated the last harvest in late October, and have put the garden to bed for the season. Read on for more details on both of these projects.
On Sunday, October 24, the Friends of Allan Gardens partnered with the Ryerson University Office of Social Innovation to celebrate the fall season with local organizations including Ryerson University, St. Luke’s Church, and others. Kids and the young at heart carved pumpkins to take home, and Friends of Allan Gardens gave away free succulents grown by our amazing volunteers to take home!
We’ve also been busy working on a Landscape Master Plan for the park. As part of this work, we hired The Planning Partnership, a Toronto-based design, and planning firm, to test soils in Allan Gardens to help us better understand how the soils are doing, and whether any amendments might be advisable to ensure proper drainage and healthy plant life. The soil testing was completed on October 26th, and was minimally invasive! There are a few spadefuls of soil being sent off to the lab. We’ll keep you posted on the soil updates once we’ve got them back.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been busy working on governance to improve the organizational structure and procedures within our organization. These improvements will be important as we embrace our recently acquired charitable status.
If you like what you’ve read and you’re a fan of the park, we encourage you to participate in our Holiday Fundraising Campaign! We’re hoping to acquire new, quarterly gifts to ensure that 2022 is a brighter and more impactful year in the park.
We wish you a safe and joyful holiday season. Thank you for your continued support.
Be well,
Board of Directors
Friends of Allan Gardens
To view the full December 2021 issue, click here!
