By Kaelan Graham

As we enter August, gardens and plants across Toronto continue to flourish. Fruits like raspberries and cherries reach the end of their harvesting period here, while apples, pears, grapes, sweet corn, tomatoes, winter squash, nectarines, and peaches ripen for harvest. It is also planting season for beets, peas, carrots, beans, and scallions, along with lettuce, spinach, and winter greens like kale and chard. Many of these plants can be grown in pots, on fences, in small plots, and in other space-saving ways to work with the space available to you. Container gardens are great ways to make the most of small spaces like balconies, porches, or indoor spaces. Planting something as simple as herbs, leafy greens, or peppers can be a great way to introduce fresh flavour to your meals, bring beautiful plants to your space, learn something new, and engage with seasonality through a plant’s stages of life.

Seed Saving

As crops become ready to harvest, their seeds also mature. Seed saving is the age-old practice of cleaning and drying seeds for long-term storage, so they may be planted in the future. Seed saving is vital to preserving genetic diversity among crops and ensuring that a robust and resilient array of plants can continue to grow. Among other benefits, this prevents pests, infections, or diseases from wiping out vast swathes of crops, and heritage plants cultivated and preserved by seed saving practices often carry unique traits, such as distinct flavours and suitability for organic farming. Once seeds are dry and ready for storage, they can be kept for the next year, shared with fellow gardeners, or donated to organizations like the Toronto Seed Library and Seeds of Diversity.

Gardening in the Classroom

Classroom gardening offers kids hands-on opportunities to learn about plant life cycles and how food is grown. Getting students involved directly with plants and nature, including on a small or urban scale, helps situate their learning in the context of the broader ecosystems we are a part of and rely on for food, clean air and water, and places to live. Activities including growing plants like beans or carrots, starting a classroom garden in pots or in the ground, and identifying trees and plants can all open up the natural world as a source of learning. The garden classroom: hands-on activities in math, science, literacy, and art is a great guide for building an educational garden space on any scale to foster food literacy and interdisciplinary learning.

Forest schools’ growth in popularity and an increasing consciousness of the educational value in getting outside have contributed to a pedagogical shift in many schools around the world towards a more holistic, environmentally situated approach that acknowledges and supports human relationships with the natural environment, helping students grow into environmentally conscious adults and change-makers. Bringing interdisciplinary activities incorporating plants and the outdoors into classes on accessible scales can cultivate similar benefits of environmental awareness and varied teaching styles.

To get started gardening and saving seeds, stop by the Toronto Seed Library branch at OISE Library and check out the resources below.

Get Growing Toronto guide: A comprehensive starter guide to gardening in Toronto with a directory of additional resources.
The seed garden: the art and practice of seed saving: A book focused on seed saving and cultivating seeds including steps and instructions for each stage of the growing cycle.
Seed to seed: seed saving and growing techniques for vegetable gardeners: This comprehensive guide breaks down seed saving by vegetable family to deliver specific detail.
Community Seed Network seed saving resources: Seed saving resources for beginners and experienced gardeners in easily accessible digital formats.
Toronto Tool Library: Missing some gardening tools? The Toronto Tool Library makes a vast range of tools, including gardening equipment, available to members for an annual fee.
The garden classroom: hands-on activities in math, science, literacy, and art: This text makes integrating gardening, plants, and the outdoors into classrooms easy and educational.
Field guide to urban gardening: how to grow plants, no matter where you live: A guide on gardening with any kind of urban space: in small areas, pots, bins, vertical setups, and more.
The Environmental and Sustainability Education Guide: This library guide has plenty of resources for educators on topics relating to the environment and climate change, including lesson plans, activities, and curriculum documents as well as reading materials.

Education Outdoors and in the Garden