Blogroll | Congregation Darchei Noam

The gardening group has been busy with plans for the strip of grass at the front of the shul. We have received a grant to buy native plants to attract pollinators like monarch butterflies, birds, and bees. The grant comes from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. It was awarded to Donna Lang of Faith & the Common Good, and the money is being split between Darchei Noam, Metropolitan United, Wellspring Worship Centre, St Cuthbert's Anglican, and Islamic Foundation of Toronto (IFT). We have gratefully received advice from Janice Keil and Harold Smith on soil preparation and which plants to purchase.

To prepare the bed for planting, we have covered the existing grass with cardboard. Next, we will add a layer of fresh soil. With time the grass and the cardboard will decompose, and a fertile bed will be created. Meanwhile the new plants arrive in May. They will be planted in the SW triangle bed in the entrance to the parking lot. There they will thrive and multiply and be ready for transplanting to their final home in the Fall or next Spring to provide us -- and the butterflies -- with a visual delight.

We will keep you informed of our progress. We are hoping that some of you who love gardening will join us in this exciting project. The more the merrier. If that is you, please contact Desre Kramer. She will give you a trowel, a weeder, and a plant to play with.

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The strip in front of the shul is now covered in cardboard to eradicate the grass and invasive plants. It's part of the work being done to prepare the soil for the planting of native plants in the Fall