Cultivating better mental health

What benefits do community gardens provide besides growing fresh produce? The volunteers of the Gordonridge and Adanac communities have the answer. They told us how both gardens located in Scarborough have helped tenants to get to know one another, spark a curiosity about nature, and create a sense of community pride. They have become places for healing and comfort.  

“You can be in the worst mood but as soon as you get your hands in the soil, and you start smelling the flowers and produce...it brightens your day, so it’s really important for your mental health,” said Petra Jeffers, founder of the Gordonridge Place community garden. 

Reminiscing about Lorna Richards, a beloved community member of Gordonridge and a former garden coordinator, Jeffers revealed the significant impact the garden had in giving Richards a sense of purpose.  

“When I met Ms. Lorna, she did not want to meet or talk to anybody, but I brought her out and made her the garden coordinator,” Jeffers said. “She was brilliant. The wealth of knowledge she had on gardening was amazing.” 

Following Richards’ passing, the Gordonridge community made sure her legacy lived on by erecting a plaque in her honour, and renamed the garden as “Lorna’s One Love”. It stands as a tribute to the hard work and passion she had for her community.

A similar heartfelt dedication exists at the Adanac community located at 140 Adanac Drive. The Gloria Sexton community garden is named after the late Gloria Sexton, who was adored by her community. She was described as passionate and selfless towards her fellow tenants, and an avid gardener. “She would tell us how to get plants to grow and how to make them look nice. She was always outside, doing good things for the community,” former tenant Tim Davidson said. Tenants were able to build the community garden by accessing funds from the Centre for Advancing the Interests of Black People’s Community Funds.
 
Through the Centre’s Community Funds, tenants have continued Gloria’s legacy by planting trees and maintaining the garden, and it brings them peace. “Gardening helps to relieve the pressure of day-to-day life. It helps with depression and stress,” said James Archer, a tenant and close friend of Sexton.
 
Len Mirander, a Gordonridge Place tenant and gardening coordinator, shares Archer’s love for gardening. He also regularly immerses himself in the garden’s beauty and feels rejuvenated after spending some time in it. “I usually get out here at 6 o’clock in the morning to hear the birds, to see the bees and butterflies…. it’s like going into space… it’s unbelievable.”

Find out more about gardening and planting

If you’d like to join or start your own community garden, contact your local Community Services Coordinator or visit torontohousing.ca/community-gardens.

If you are interested in planting trees and shrubs, contact LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) which runs the TCHC Planting and Stewardship Initiative: yourleaf.org/tch-planting-and-stewardship-program. 

42 Hubbard Boulevard gardens recognized  

The City of Toronto recently held their annual gardening contest and awarded 42 Hubbard Boulevard a second-place finish in the high-density category. The City’s recognition of the garden as one of the best in Toronto is a testament to the hard work the community has put into beautifying it over the years. In the words of Deborah Beaven, a building representative, “Good things can happen in a community when all are of one mind.”