May 15, 2008
Project promotes balcony garden
Toronto Balconies Bloom aims to increase gardening on balconies as a way to cool the environment, expand local food production and improve visual facades. The city landscape includes acres of untapped growing space on its balconies. These balconies offer a wellspring of opportunity for creating pleasure and sustaining our urban habitat.
City residents often want more contact with nature but don’t know where to start. Toronto Balconies Bloom can offer a community of assistance by providing connections and resources for aspiring balcony gardeners. The Toronto Balconies Bloom project is an umbrella for many possible activities and future directions. It’s a way to get helpful information on balcony gardening and supplies into people’s hands, and stimulate gardening activity by building residents. A website is under construction that will provide:
In 2008, Toronto Balconies Bloom will showcase a variety of demonstration balcony gardening projects across the city. Toronto Balconies Bloom encourages gardeners to work together within individual buildings, apartment neighbourhoods or self-identified groups, and focus on communities as well as individuals. If you know of, or would like to help create such a project, please contact us.
Plans for 2009 include a balcony garden competition. Contest categories will address the diverse circumstances and people that balcony gardening touches — for example, best building/community participation, best use of recycled materials, most creative display, most environmentally tolerant/friendly, best kitchen garden, best north-facing and most sustainable.
The campaign is supported by a growing list of companies and organizations. For more information, visit www.torontobalconiesbloom.ca.
City residents often want more contact with nature but don’t know where to start. Toronto Balconies Bloom can offer a community of assistance by providing connections and resources for aspiring balcony gardeners. The Toronto Balconies Bloom project is an umbrella for many possible activities and future directions. It’s a way to get helpful information on balcony gardening and supplies into people’s hands, and stimulate gardening activity by building residents. A website is under construction that will provide:
- A hub for the cross-fertilization of ideas and coordination of resources and activities;
- An online gallery of inspiring projects — models, stories, interviews;
- Links to practical assistance — online, telephone, fact sheets, workshops/seminars, tips and deals on supplies;
- Support/coordination for initiatives — contests, information forums, research, community engagement, promotion of prototype methods and tools.
In 2008, Toronto Balconies Bloom will showcase a variety of demonstration balcony gardening projects across the city. Toronto Balconies Bloom encourages gardeners to work together within individual buildings, apartment neighbourhoods or self-identified groups, and focus on communities as well as individuals. If you know of, or would like to help create such a project, please contact us.
Plans for 2009 include a balcony garden competition. Contest categories will address the diverse circumstances and people that balcony gardening touches — for example, best building/community participation, best use of recycled materials, most creative display, most environmentally tolerant/friendly, best kitchen garden, best north-facing and most sustainable.
The campaign is supported by a growing list of companies and organizations. For more information, visit www.torontobalconiesbloom.ca.