But all is not lost - we're really lucky here in Toronto - the City has a program to plant free shade trees in front yards - signing up was literally one of the first things we did upon moving in and we can expect a Black Locust or Red Maple (you get 3 choices from a list of 34 options) planted sometime this fall or early next spring (you need to avoid planting a tree in the heat of the summer). We decided to investigate a tree for the backyard as well. Since the backyard is all about food production, I had my heart set on a fruit tree of some sort and have been wandering the aisles of the Home Depot garden centre looking for fruit trees. Their selection is limited, and they have mostly only ornamental fruit trees, if any. I was sure this was going to mean a trip to some larger suburban nursery that would require a car or truck rental.
Then two weeks ago we came home to find a flyer from GreenHere, a registered charity and not-for-profit dedicated to increasing green space in Toronto's Davenport neighbourhood (bordered by Bloor St. W to St. Clair Ave. W., CPR/CNR rail tracks to Christie St.) and the best part - the flyer said they had pear and plum trees available! According to their site:
The Davenport area is a mixed residential/industrial land use, criss-crossed by three major railway corridors. Residents in this area face an increase in health risks due to poor environmental conditions; higher summer temperatures due to greater levels of greenhouse gases; a lack of recreational spaces; and higher percentage of paved surfaces that escalate the urban heat island effect. By planting trees and developing tree stewardship programs today we are protecting urban ecosystems and long-term air quality for tomorrow.
Now we live north of St. Clair and out of the area, but thought "hey we got a flyer in our mailbox and god knows our street needs trees," so I called them (I was also thinking what on earth were we thinking buying a home here, but whatever). Turns out, the program has been so successful it has been extended as far north as Eglinton. A week later, and I had two student summer staff from GreenHere in the yard assessing our property and determining where the best place to plant a tree was!
So folks in late September/early October we'll be having a Bartlett pear tree planted and staff from GreenHere will give us a lesson in its care, mulching and pruning. And, when our tree eventually becomes so laden with fruit we won't possibly be able to use it all, they've got an arrangement with Not Far From the Tree to help harvest the fruit for us and share a portion with The Stop Community Food Centre.
I'm told it usually takes five to seven years for Bartlett pear trees to begin bearing fruit, but in good conditions the trees can continue to fruit for as long as 75 years. Lucky for us, we have no plans of moving anytime soon. We were also told we're very lucky in that pears generally do better when there are other pear trees around for pollination and a house at the end of the street has a fully mature pear tree in their yard. Bartlett pears are a favourite for eating raw, due to their juiciness and sweet flavor, but they are also a popular choice for canning because they maintain their flavor well when preserved. Bartlett pears do not hold their shape when baked as well as some other pear varieties, such as the Bosc pear, but they can be used for making pies, tarts, and other baked goods.
I'm so happy and excited about this program and am curious to know if there are similar programs in other areas of Toronto or in other cities in Canada or the US. Have you heard of any? If so, please share in the comments area!
