Canada: Small plot, big veg: city gardeners are growing food at home
On condo balconies and in front yards, gardeners across the Greater Toronto Area are fighting grocery bills, food insecurity and stress
By Ramona Leitao
The Narwhale
Aug. 27, 2022
Excerpt:
With nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram, Mary Vo is a gardening influencer who grows tomatoes, peppers, kale and much more in her front yard in Toronto’s St. Clair West neighbourhood.
“I’ve always kind of dabbled in gardening but never really had a focus because I was busy with other stuff. It really didn’t happen until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the big oak tree in our front yard fell during a storm.
It kind of coincided. I started more for mental health and mindfulness and it just kind of progressed from there. I started documenting my journey on Instagram and then everyone became interested. There was such a want from people to learn.”
“I’ve been to the grocery store lately, and it’s almost horrific in terms of the prices. I was shocked because I’m so used to shopping in my garden. It’s concerning what the cost of, like, a head of lettuce is nowadays.
I do think gardening is this sort of an investment upfront. You’re investing in, you know, your soil, your potting bags, your containers. But yeah, the investment pays over time.
My husband does some of the labour. And my kids help up with the harvesting. They’ll tend to specific containers that are theirs, and help take out what they want to grow. Every year, we go through these seed catalogues and they’ll point to something that they like and want to try. I want them to feel a part of this. I want them to experience the joy of learning and carry that on later.”
