Native plant gardening spreading like seeds on the wind

Christina Keys outlines the Manor Park Community Association's efforts in promoting native plant gardens

By Manor Park Chronicle

Christina Keys and Kavitha Galle Kankanange spread wood chips over cardboard to smother grass and prepare for planting seedlings along the Aviation Parkway. Photo: Christina Keys
Christina Keys and Kavitha Galle Kankanange spread wood chips over cardboard to smother grass and prepare for planting seedlings along the Aviation Parkway. Photo: Christina Keys

The Manor Park Community Association Environmental Sustainability Committee was busy this past summer creating new native plant gardens in Manor Park and beyond. All the seedlings for these projects were grown from free seeds donated by the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library. Native plant gardening is hugely beneficial. Each garden creates valuable food and habitat for wildlife. They also provide ecosystem services and beautify our neighbourhood.

Aviation Parkway

Just beyond Manor Park’s boundaries, we partnered with Forêt Capitale Forest (FCF) and the National Capital Commission (NCC) to create a native plant garden along the Aviation Parkway. The Clarke Ave. access paths connect to the Aviation Parkway path to create a small triangle of greenspace. That’s where we’ve planted hundreds of native plants including rare and threatened plant species.

FCF Forestry Coordinator Kavitha Galle Kankanange facilitated the initiative. Kavitha grew up and lives in Manor Park. She says, “As a kid, I used to race my bike around this grass triangle so it really means a lot to see the space transform into something more dynamic and meaningful.” We hope this project becomes a pilot for dozens of new community initiatives on NCC land across the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

500 St Laurent Blvd.

On a rainy day in August, the Committee created a new native plant garden bed at the Ottawa Community Housing’s 500 St Laurent Blvd. apartments. We densely planted hundreds of seedlings. These included New England aster, black-eyed Susan, hairy beardtongue, purple coneflower. We also planted heart leaf aster towards the shadier side.

Last year, with Community Gardening Network funding, resident Chantal Hurtubise designed a raised bed community vegetable garden for exclusive use of the tenants. Our hope is the new native plant garden will help to encourage pollination for the fruit and vegetables, stabilise the slope, reduce invasive weeds. And, of course, beautify the area.

1805 Gaspé Ave.

We planted dozens of native plants in the small garden bed at Manor Park Community Council (MPCC)’s 1805 Gaspé Ave. building. The dry, hot conditions suit butterfly milkweed, black eyed Susan, little bluestem, and Virginia mountain mint.
MPCC Recreation and Community-Building Manager Stephanie Sears says everyone is looking forward to watching them bloom in spring 2024. “We are so grateful for the shared expertise and time donated to beautifying these common spaces in the community.”

100 Thornwood Rd.

MPCC’s Summer Day Camp kids planted dozens of native plants over the summer. The Committee set up a planter box with photos and labels for all types of plant, and the campers planted each tiny seedling, creating food and habitat for local wildlife.

Volunteers needed for 2024 Gardens

Join the MPCA Environmental Sustainability Committee for even more native plant garden planning or planting by emailing environment@manorparkcommunity.ca. We’re looking for volunteers to help grow seedlings over winter for future native plant gardening projects.

Pick up free seeds from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library on Saturday, December 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. at 100 Thornwood Rd.

Sow the seeds in outdoor pots over winter , and the seedlings will be ready for planting by June 2024.

Christina Keys, Eugenie Waters, and Mary Hickman planted hundreds of native plant seedlings to help vegetable and fruit pollination at 500 St Laurent Blvd.’s gardens Photo: Chantal Hurtubise
At the Manor Park Native Plant Demonstration Garden, a bumblebee forages on smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve). This plant is available from Ontario Native Plants. The garden was planted in September 2022 with funding from the City of Ottawa’s Community Environmental Projects Grant Program. Photo: Christina Keys