Eventually figuring that a couple of large trees or tall bushes would do the trick, I visited a local nursery. But this only made me realize I’d have to transport the trees myself, which can be a bit challenging when you don’t own a car. Plus, making decisions about where to plant, what type of tree would suit the soil and doing the actual digging all seemed pretty intimidating.
Around this time, while riding the subway I came across an ad - one with the kids struggling to hold their dad up in a hammock. I jotted down the contact info and when I got home I checked out their website. Not only would they deliver the trees straight to my house, they would also do a visit before anything else to help advise me on what type of tree I could plant, all for the same price of buying and planting trees on my own.
A few weeks after setting up my appointment, Andrea and Mike came right on time and were super friendly. They noted the type of soil I had (clay) and the number of hours of sun the yard was exposed to based on the shape and the location. They listened to what I wanted to do with the space and used their super colourful tree binder to show me what my best options were. I chose a Freeman maple (Acer freemanii) tree because of its intense red colour in the fall and the fact that it grew a bit faster than other trees.
The tree was delivered and planted in my backyard and I didn’t need to be home to help with the process. I just came home and found it there – like a present just waiting for me to enjoy and care for. Now I know the next time summer comes around, my little green bowling pin will give me some relief from the heat, and our barbecue will be the only thing doing any cooking!
Kamla Ross McGregor is the Education Coordinator at Toronto’s The Stop Community Food Centre. Her background is in environmental and human rights education and she constantly strives to ignite passion in others about critical environmental issues in a way that can keep learners engaged and ready to take a lead.