I was delighted this year when Kim Jackson, a wonderful person I got to know a bit through work they were involved with at the Humber 2-Spirit garden and at Our Space in High Park, invited me to join a very active Friends group at Watkinson Parkette in the Junction area of Toronto. Every two weeks, a group of us gathers in the parkette where, along with a Trans Youth group from a local community centre, we plant and tend to tobacco, sage, sweetgrass and native pollinator plants. Elders share teachings, 2-Spirit community members lead ceremony, we share food and stories, and we basically spend time with each other and with this space, caring. Harvesting of plant medicines, to distirbute to community, is a very special time. All time in this space is special medicine.
We added some grow-bags with native pollinator plants beside the park benches. The monarda and smooth ox-eye bloomed just a few weeks after planting.
Harvesting sweetgrass for braiding.
Harvesting sage.
Harvesting tobacco.
A small planting for pollinators in the parkette.