There is this urge in all of us that pulls us outside. It’s human nature to feel a need to connect with our environment, and I think most of us would agree that we are better people after spending some time reconnecting with the earth.

I have seasonal affective disorder and in January, things get dismal. Something that has really helped me get through the long dark winter months is dreaming about gardening. When my brain wants to complain, I hit the garden switch and start scheming how to fit more fruit trees into my tiny yard. Or, I look up what medicinal plants to grow in my herb garden. Or, I research how to cross pollinate my kiwi vine, or . . . you get the idea.

And then when spring arrives, watching green buds emerge on seemingly dead trees, smelling the dizzying sweet scent of my plum tree in blossom, and planting seeds into freshly warmed soil is the best cure for my winter-weary mind.

Gardening gives access to not only fresh air, vitamin D, and exercise. It is also good for the environment and is a sustainable skill to pass down to future generations! Growing fruit and vegetables also gives access to extremely economical, organic produce.

Gardening also creates community. Gardening was my link back into the world after having four babies in six very busy and rather isolating years. Being outside in my yard with my children exposed me to my immediate neighbours and eventually to everyone on my street, and I was able to reconnect back into a social and supportive network.

From the inception of our city, McCauley has a historical legacy of generations of gardeners who grew food in their backyards. Many immigrants brought plants and seedlings from their countries of birth and introduced their plant knowledge to the wider group of gardeners.

Today, living in our beautifully diverse community, nothing has brought me closer to intercultural dialogue than gardening. Even though some of my neighbours and I don’t share the same language, we share enthusiasm for our small plots of dirt, and exchanging seeds and smiles has brought us so much joy!

As the Neighbourhood Connector for Abundant Community McCauley, and also as an avid gardener, I want to encourage you to get growing. If you have access to dirt, plant something. It doesn’t matter if it’s in your backyard, in a pot on your balcony/window sill, or in one of McCauley’s community gardens. In fact, get connected with one (or more!) of the eight gardening groups that McCauley boasts!

Because gardening is such a passion for so many McCauley residents, I am so excited to announce that a website is being put together at cultivatemccauley.ca to inform you about every garden-related thing that is happening in our community! It will also offer a chance to dialogue and connect. Stay tuned for launch details!

Please email me at abundantcommunitymccauley@gmail.com if you have any questions about gardening in McCauley.