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Leaside Garden Society Commemorative Garden

2012

25th Anniversary Commemorative Garden Proposal

Leaside Garden Society

Prepared for Jim McKay North District Supervisor City of Toronto, Parks , Forestry & Recreation

Prepared by Rick Hutchings Leaside Garden Society Director P.O. Box 43513 1601 Bayview Avenue Toronto ON M4G 3B5 cell: 416 200 0529 Society: 416 481 8919 www.leasidegardensociety.org Submitted on December 19, 2011

Society Summary

The Leaside Garden Society is pleased to present the City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry & Recreation, this proposal for the

Commemorative Garden Project. We believe that this will be another unique opportunity for the Leaside Garden Society

and the City of Toronto to beautify the Community of Leaside. The Leaside Garden Society takes great pride in working with

the City of Toronto to formulate a Commemorative Garden honouring the founder, Dave Money, and the dedication that

the Society has bestowed to the Leaside Community over the past 25 years.

The Leaside Garden Society, through its many gardening projects, valued Board members, and committed volunteers is

confident that this garden will become a focal statement for both the Society and the City of Toronto, well into the future.

Over the past 25 years, the Leaside Garden Society has successfully coordinated plantings throughout Leaside. Examples

of their dedication can be seen ;

• in the gardens at Trace Manes Park, which are planted each year by volunteers of the Society and students

from the area

• in the gardens at the Toronto Rehab-Lyndhurst Centre which are planted by Society volunteers and staff at the

centre

• at the Sunny View and Thorncliffe Park School gardens which are planted by volunteers and students.

Contents

1. Leaside Garden Society Background……………………………………………………………………………………

2. Garden Proposal………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2.1 Garden outline 2.2 Garden Location 2.3 Garden shape/style 2.4 Garden Spring Proposal

3. Site Map……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3.1 Location Map

4. Site Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4.1 Site Photos

5. Garden Bed Proposal…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5.1 Garden Proposal

6. Garden Bed Dimensions…………………………………………………………………………………………….……….

6.1 Dimensions of Garden Bed

7. Garden Bed Cross section………………………………………………………………………………………………….

7.1 Cross section Dimensions

8. Site Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………

8.1 3-D Proposal

9. Site Plan Continued………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

9.1 3-D Proposal

10. Site Plan Spring……………………………………………………………………….……………………………………….

10.1 3-D Proposal

11. Identification of needs……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

11.1 Hardscape 11.2 Soft Scape 11.3 Summer Plantings 11.4 Donations by the City of Toronto 11.5 Watering

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The shade garden ‘There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight’ Gertrude Jekyll

Leaside Public Library Garden Bed

1. Society Background

The Leaside Garden Society was founded in 1986 by David Money and became a chartered Society in 1988 with the

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and an Affiliated Society with the Ontario Ministry of Agricultural

Association. The Leaside Garden Society’s mission statement reads: To establish a friendly meeting place to share,

encourage, award and educate on the fundamental values and principles of gardening, concerns about the

environment and to create a horticultural legacy within the community.

The Leaside Garden Society is very fortunate to have a strong and dedicated membership, which not only provides the

leadership needed to carry on the Garden Society, but also provides the basis for a strong committed volunteer support

team. One of the major goals within the Leaside Garden Society is ‘to create a horticultural legacy within the

community’. The Leaside Garden Society does this by their extensive participation in the community. Through the

community plantings, the junior Gardeners, the gardens at the Toronto Rehab-Lyndhurst Centre, the plantings at the

Thorncliffe Public School, the Sunny View gardens, the Leaside Public Library and the entrance and park bed plantings at

Trace Manes Park , the horticultural legacy of the Leaside Garden Society continues.

The Leaside Garden Society financially supports a horticultural benefit program within the community. The Junior

Gardeners Program teams up with the City of Toronto’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Board of Education

each year to beautify the Leaside area’s many flower beds. As well as beautifying the community, the Leaside Garden

Society is also involved in a Horticultural teaching/learning program where they team up with the Toronto Botanical

Gardens (TBG). Each year dedicated volunteers take students from the Thorncliffe Park area to the TBG site to study

plants, plantings and horticultural and environmental concerns.

For the past 25 years the core of the Leaside Garden Society has been to have a home for those in the community who

love gardening and enjoy the company of other gardeners, while listening to experts in the field.

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2. Proposal

2.1 To create a Commemorative Garden that honours the founding of the Leaside Garden Society by Dave Money and

the 25 years of dedication by the Leaside Garden Society members to the Leaside Community. The Commemorative

Garden will establish a permanent location within the Community of Leaside to show case the Society’s involvement,

history and horticultural talents. An historical plaque will accompany the garden, outlining the rich history of the Leaside

Garden Society and its long partnership with the Community and the City of Toronto.

2.2 The proposed location is the north/west corner of Trace Manes Park, at the intersection of McRae Drive and

Rumsey Road. The existing flower bed adjacent to the Leaside Public Library, which is presently maintained by the City of

Toronto. The Leaside Garden Society will take over responsibility and maintenance of the garden bed attached to the

Leaside Public Library, on the west side of the building facing Rumsey Road.

2.3 A crescent shaped flower bed approx. 14ft wide at the center point and 36ft long that tapers at each end. The first

Letter of each of the Society’s names ( L G S ) would be centered in a circular bed of white gravel and constructed of

boxwood. (Buxus microphylla ‘wintergreen’ ) or clipped yews

The outer border will consist of low perennial flowers and grasses. The inner circle will consist of a ring of annuals

(donated by the City of Toronto) and five shade tolerant shrubs.

2.4 The flower chosen by the garden Society to represent the 25th year was the Iris. A possible garden bed, could

consist of a late spring, early summer arrangement that complements this flower.

One possible consideration could be an outer border that consists of low growing purple/yellow Iris histrioides ‘George’ .

The second border ring behind these could consist of rich purple latifolium (muscari). Crossing over the two rings could

be five areas , representing the 25 years of the society, consisting of a mix between leichtlinii ‘caerulea’ ( camassia) and

the Siberian iris. The inner circle could be created with a ring of yellow crocuses. Five shade tolerant flowering shrubs

would represent the 25 years of the society and would be planted equally around the circle. Scattered throughout the

garden will be tulips and daffodils, representing the members and volunteers of the society. At each end three

evergreens and one azalea bush will form the corners of the Commemorative Bed, representing the original eight

members of the Society.

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3. Site Map

3.1 Rumsey Road and McRae Drive - 165 McRae Drive, Toronto M4G 1S8

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4. Site Analysis 4.1 Rumsey Road and McRae Drive - Leaside Public Library, 165 McRae Drive, Toronto M4G 1S8

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5. Garden Bed Proposal

Existing trees On Rumsey Road

Rumsey Road

North/west Corner Trace Manes Park

Existing flower bed Existing Trees On McRae Drive McRae Drive Proposed 14ft garden bed

5.1 14Ft Flower Bed –north/west corner of Trace Manes Park

adjacent to the Leaside Public Library

Leaside Public Library

SIGHT LINES

SIGHT LINES

SIGHT LINES

Water source

SIGHT LINE

LGS

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6. Garden Bed Proposal

6.1 Dimensions of proposed Flower Bed –north/west corner of Trace Manes Park

Leaside Public Library

CENTER LINE CENTER OF WINDOW CENTER OF WINDOW

2 FT R 2 FT R

4 FT R

LIBRARY WINDOWS

13 FT

16 FT

16 FT

12 FT

10 FT

4 FT

18 FT

36 FT

SLOPE FROM BASE OF WINDOW 1 FT OUT FROM WINDOW 8-10 INCHES FROM GROUND

Edging for inner bed Plastic or kortan steel

6 ft

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7. Garden Bed Proposal

7.1 Dimensions of proposed Flower Bed – cross section/ slope

Leaside Public Library

slope

slope

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1’

1’ 2’ 8’ 2’

PROPOSED BED CROSS SECTION

Proposed bed

Ground level

Raised flower bed

8. Site Plan

8.1 3-D SketchUp

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9. Site Plan

9.1 3-D SketchUp

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10. Site Plan-Spring

10.1 3-D Spring Garden Design SketchUp

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11. Identification of Needs

11.1 Hardscape materials

50 sg ft of white gravel

Edging (metal or plastic)

11.2 Softscape planting materials-spring garden

Boxwood (Buxus microphylla ‘wintergreen’)

Siberian Bearded Iris (Iris sibirica)

Camassia (Leichtlinii ‘caerulea’)

Dwarf Iris histrioides

Muscari (Latifolium)

Daffodils/ naturalizing mix (Narcissus)

Tulip bulbs mixed

* Shade plants to be discussed

* some bulbs to be donated by the City of Toronto

11.3 Softscape planting materials-summer garden

5- shade tolerant shrubs (azalea, rhododendron)

* Plants to be discussed

* some plants to be donated by the City of Toronto

11.4 Extra materials donated by City of Toronto

mulch (wood chips)

garden soils

11.5 Watering of the garden bed and maintenance will be carried out by the

Leaside Garden Society with help from the City of Toronto, Parks and

Recreation

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Images of Inspiration

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Images of a Shade Garden

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Images of a Shade Garden

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Images of a Shade Garden

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Images of a Shade Garden

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