Archived Article: the Humber Arboretum

THE HUMBER ARBORETUM

The Humber Arboretum encompasses 100 hectares of green space in Etobicoke on the West branch of the Humber River. Its boundaries are Rexdale Avenue to the south and Finch Avenue to the north between Highway 27 to the east and Highway 427 to the west. It is a botanical garden devoted to trees and other woody plants. It is dedicated to protecting and conserving the natural areas within its boundaries and provides educational opportunities in horticulture and environmental stewardship.

The Arboretum is a unique community resource established in 1977 by the City of Etobicoke, Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Humber College of Allied Arts and Technology. More than 10, 000 people visit the Humber Arboretum of which 8,000 are children. It is a leader in environmental studies. The Nature Centre provides a spectacular view of the gardens, woods and meadows.

The ornamental gardens include the Dunington Grubb and Garfield Weston Gardens where extensive collections of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants are situated among ponds, bridges, gazebos, hills and walkways. There is a hillside featuring masses of shrub roses, an outstanding display of annuals and perennials and over 100 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas.

Beyond the gardens an extensive trail system leads to a variety of fascinating natural habitats. The old forest features majestic specimens of Maple, Beech, Ash, Oaks and Hickories while the West Humber Trail winds along the Humber River providing a wetland habitat for beavers, herons and kingfishers which then leads into an old meadow with fox, deer and ring-necked pheasants.

The Arboretum is a gift to the community to be enjoyed by present and future generations. Continuing support of friends, partners and sponsors has made it possible to serve the community with high quality horticulture and environmental programs. The Humber Arboretum (Tel: 416-675-5009) is situated at 205 Humber College Boulevard and open each day during daylight hours and is accessible by Toronto Transit.

Archived Article: Centennial Park Conservatory

CENTENNIAL PARK CONSERVATORY

Compiled from information by Etobicoke Parks Services.

Centennial Park Conservatory is located on Elmcrest Road north of Rathburn Road in Centennial Park. The complex opened in 1970 and consists of three greenhouses. The central house contains a large and outstanding collection of tropical plants. The picturesque waterfall and pool are also favourite attractions. There are two adjoining houses - to the south displaying an extensive collection of cacti and succulents, and to the north, a celebration of the seasons to delight your year round interest:

• Spring show (to keep us warm) from mid January to the end of May with Pelargoniums, Cineraria, Kalanchoe and fabulous spring tulips, daffodils and hyacinths; 
• Easter display begins one week before Easter and adds Easter lilies and Hydrangeas to the spectacle; 
• Summer show from early June to early September highlights Geraniums, tropicals and colourful annuals; 
• Fall Chrysanthemum display from mid September to late November features garden and Japanese Chrysanthemums and fall Asters. 
• Christmas show from early December to early January is ablaze with Poinsettias.

The Conservatory is open every day, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the Flower Shop offers a selection of plants for sale. Staff in the Flower Shop at weekends can answer any of your gardening questions. There is no admission fee. The Conservatory is also available for weddings and commercial photography by permit. Call (416) 394-8543 for more information and for permit information call (416) 394-8510

Archived Articles: Kiwanis Trees of Honour Park

KIWANIS TREES OF HONOUR PARK

A community partnership with Etobicoke Parks and Recreation Services and the Kiwanis Clubs of the City of Etobicoke.

The Kiwanis Trees of Honour Programme is a way of celebrating a special event or of honouring an individual by planting a tree for you and the Etobicoke community to enjoy. The official opening for the Kiwanis Trees of Honour Park on the east side of The East Mall midway between Burnhamthorpe Road and Bloor Street took place on April 26, 1997.

The park was designed by Parks personnel as an Arboretum since trees make the greatest contribution to the long term health and well being of a community. Etobicoke Parks and Recreation Services will prepare the site, and plant and maintain the trees. A descriptive marker will be mounted in concrete at the base of each tree. The master planting plan is an excellent collection of carefully selected and clearly identified varieties of trees and identifies a particular planting zone for each tree. The total number of trees that has been planned for this site is 368. Each tree will provide shelter, oxygen and a lasting tribute to a special person, or a celebration of an event or accomplishment.

Individuals, groups and corporations are invited to donate specimen trees to honour a person or an event. (A charitable donation receipt will be issued by the City of Etobicoke.) A brochure outlining details of the Park and a tree-planting master plan is available by calling Kiwanis Trees of Honour Committee at 416-233-3338 or 416-231-9859.

Did you know that Etobicoke can boast a collection of trees that is unique in Canada and is now recognised as one of the rarest collection of nut trees in North America? The Echo Valley Park, situated on the north side of Mimico Creek where it crosses Kipling Avenue and the first big bend upstream contains the best specimen of Turkish Hazel in the region as well as a unique collection of other nuts and native fruit trees.

This collection of between 150 and 200 varieties of nut trees and hybrid nut trees was established by Mr George Hebden Corsan after he purchased the 9.4 acre section which is now the park in 1911. The collection includes black, white and Persian walnuts, American and European hazels, hybrids, sweet chestnuts and pawpaws. Some of the trees, all of which are of fruit bearing age, are as tall as 50 feet.

The City of Etobicoke purchased the property in 1959 and it was only in the early 1970's that the value of the collection was realized by city staff at which time the trees were identifed and labelled and a maintenance programme set up to preserve the existing trees, along with attempts to establish additional varieties. Echo Valley Park is a prime example of good urban greenspace management. As well as being aesthetically pleasing the park also serves the purpose of being a natural flood plain.

Echo Valley Park lies between Wingrove Hill Road to the north and Echo Valley Road to the south. Enter the park via Wingrove Hill Road one block north of Burnhampthorpe Road off Kipling Ave.

Archived Article: School Ground Naturalization

SCHOOL GROUND NATURALIZATION
By Debby Morton

In 1992 Broadacres Junior School was the first Etobicoke School to naturalize their schoolyard. This year (1997) there are about 26 schools engaged in outdoor environmental projects. This is clearly an indication that the 'greening' of school grounds is an idea whose time has come.

Some schools approach their projects with different themes in mind i.e., bird and butterfly habitats, wet meadows, herb gardens, vegetable gardens, native trees for shade and peace gardens to name a few. Whatever the theme, all schools have need of community support. Money for these projects comes in the way of grants from Parent Teacher Associations, and environmental funding agencies such as Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation, Shell Environmental Fund and Action 21.

Horticultural societies and individuals can do much to offer support to the schools in their community. Contact the principal if you would like to offer your help. 

Here are some ideas to get you started:

•  Letters of encouragement focusing on what you think they are doing well. 
•  Donations of: time, perennials, shovels, trowels, weed diggers, rakes, wheelbarrows, books (nature, reference and gardening), class sets of watering cans, bushel baskets, garden gloves, seeds (sunflowers, nasturtiums, heritage seeds, and cosmos to name a few) and spring bulbs. 
•  Offer your expertise. Believe it or not there are many children and teachers who do not know how to plant bulbs, weed, raise seeds, transplant, prune or compost. 
•  The naturalization committee in the school or a teacher trying to get things going might need help with research, phoning, planning gardens or taking a class out to work in the garden. 
•  Sharpen their shovels (thanks Ed!) 
•  Organize an activity for the nature club such as Christmas flower arrangements. 
•  Help with the choice and purchase of native plants. Native wildflowers are being out-competed in the wild by invasive European species. Native wildflowers evolved with our native wildlife and therefore are their preferred food source. 
•  Schools are always looking for activities that involve the gardens after they are established and would appreciate help with implementation i.e. seed collection, weaving, crafts, signage and identification of the plants.

Schools in Etobicoke that have started gardening are: Braeburn Junior School, Briarcrest Junior School, Broadacres Junior School, Etobicoke Humber School, Father Serra Catholic School, Greenholme Junior School, Humber Valley Village Junior Middle School, Humberwood Downs Junior Middle Academy, Holy Child Catholic School, Islington Junior School, John D. Parker Junior School, Josyf Cardinal Slipyj Catholic School, Kingsview Village Junior School, Norseman Junior Middle School, Parklawn Junior Middle School, Seneca School, Seventh Street Junior School, Silverthorn Collegiate Institute, Smithfield Middle School, St. Gregory's Catholic School, Sunnylea Junior School, Transfiguration of Our Lord Catholic School, Twentieth Street Junior School, Wedgewood Junior School, and West Humber Junior Middle School.

Editor's Note: Debby Morton was awarded the Etobicoke Board of Education's 1997 Award of Excellence for her work with Broadacres and other schools in their naturalization projects.

Archived Article: Native Wildflower Gardens - Beauty in Nature

Compiled from information by Metro Parks & Culture 
NATIVE WILDFLOWER GARDENS - BEAUTY IN NATURE 
By George Leja

Sun Row Community Action Site
At the Sun Row Community Action Site (CAS) in Alex Marchetti Park (formerly Sun Row Park), the community has been involved in restoration efforts to improve the ecosystem health of our urban parklands. The park is one of three CAS's chosen for immediate action (out of seventeen sites originally nominated) by the former Humber Watershed Task Force which was coordinated by The Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (M.T.R.C.A).

The Sun Row CAS is located between Islington Avenue and The Westway, south of Dixon Road. You can enter the park via existing trails from Islington Avenue on the west side; Sun Row Drive, Sherin Court, and Emery Circle from the south; The Westway at the east end; as well as McManus Road and Dixington Crescent from the north. Unfortunately, there are no parking areas within the park; however, vehicles can be parked along local streets close to most of the entrances.

As a result of events held at the Sun Row CAS this past year, hundreds of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers were planted within the park to begin the restoration project. Tree species included: Sugar Maple, White Birch, American Ash, Black Ash, Red Pine, American Elm, Black Cherry, White Ash, Hackberry, White Pine, and White Cedar. Shrubs consisted of Grey Dogwood, Snowberry, Highbush Cranberry, Nannyberry, Downy Serviceberry, Meadowsweet, and Staghorn Sumac. An assortment of wildflowers included: Black Eyed Susan, Penstemon digitalis, Butterfly Milkweed, New England Aster, Heath Aster, Smooth Aster, and Cylindric Blazing Star.

In the Spring of 1998, a large wildflower/butterfly garden will be constructed within the park. The Sun Row CAS project partnership will design the garden in cooperation with The Westway Horticultural Society. The proposed garden will add to the beautification of the park, while at the same time function as a natural habitat to attract a variety of butterflies to the site. It is hoped that the new garden will provide ideas to naturalize portions of local residential, business, and school properties; thus, reducing mowing and the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in surrounding landscaped areas.

Funding sources for the Sun Row CAS project include: the M.T.R.C.A., City of Etobicoke, Environment Canada's Great Lakes 2000 Clean-Up Fund, and a generous grant of $9,900.00 from the Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation (Etobicoke Chapter) to the Humber Creek Restoration Group (H.C.R.G).

For more information regarding the Sun Row CAS, phone George Leja of the HCRG at 416-244-9517. 


James Gardens

In 1908 wholesale fish merchant Fred T. James bought 12 acres of farmland in Etobicoke as a country retreat. For the next forty years James carefully transformed his property into a picturesque garden where public visitors were always welcome. Before their main house was built in 1927, the James family lived in the coach house that still stands next door. James operated a fish market where the circular parking lot is today. The terraces and collection pools were built almost fifty years ago using Humber River slate and weeping tiles.

Mr. and Mrs James died in the 1950's leaving James Gardens as their memorial. In 1955 Metro Toronto purchased the gardens. They have acquired new land and now the total area is about 27 acres (14,479 hectares), just over twice its original size. It is now part of the Etienne Brule park system which extends from Lake Ontario to Thristletown.

At the south end of the park, along the Humber banks is a 10 acre picnic and woodland site, left in a natural state. In 1964 authorized the establishment of this area as a wild flower preserve in co-operation with the Federation of Ontario Naturalists.

The main original garden climbs the steep hillside in a variety of terraces and levels, each with its streams, pools and waterfalls. Metro Parks has tried to preserve the atmosphere of this beautiful garden. Ever-running streams and pools, fed by crystal clear hillside springs flows through the expansive lawns, flowering trees and perennials. Flower lovers will revel at the rose garden, the five acre spring garden section with 120,000 tulips, tuberous begonias, water lilies, perennials and annuals.

In 1969, a bowling green was established to the east off Edenbridge Drive and the James Gardens Lawn Bowling Club came into existence.

There is no admission Fee and no parking charge.

Vehicles can enter James Gardens from Edenbridge Drive. The park is only ten minutes walk along Edenbridge Drive from Royal York 73 bus stop. Pedestrians and cyclists can travel through the park on the Tommy Thompson Trail.