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You are on the [Bain Garden] page of folder [Toronto Gardens]
For the cover page of this folder go to the Bain Co-Op Community Gardens
posted February 1st, 2008
The Bain Co-op Community Native Garden in 2007...
Photo by AARON SCHWARTZ
Location: We are located at 100 Bain Avenue
Directions: We are between Logan and Broadview Avenues. There are several community garden spread out with in the Bain complex. .
About our Gardens: The Bain Co-op in Riverdale is an architecturally significant community built in 1910 in the Arts & Crafts style and which includes large open green spaces. It evolved out of the 19th century garden suburb movement in England Toronto. These gardens are located in 8 separate courtyards.
The history of the Bain community and its gardens has been one of many struggles—claiming the right to garden, figuring out how to work together and learning decision making through meetings. Before 1976 the courtyards were mostly empty spaces with scraggly hedges and token petunia beds. Member gardening was forbidden unless they supported the status quo of annuals and grass. Children did not have access. The Co-op membership however, decided to permit space for gardening, recreation and play areas for children in equal parts.
click on the image to enlarge it
...and Dagmar Baur, received an award from the
North American Native Plants Society in 2007
Photo by Julian Hasford, Toronto Urban Farm
Dagmar Baur at the Toronto Urban Farm Harvest
Festival August 2008, enjoying the heritage potatoes.
Photo by Julian Hasford
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The Bain Coop Community Gardens is made up of 9 courtyard gardens and each has a coordinator.
Today, there are permaculture gardens with native plant and meadow species, vegetable and herb, and shade gardens among others. Century old plane trees grace the street and many fruit trees, shrubs and native trees have been planted
The community has received awards from the city and various other organizations for our "Environmental Gardening". (Bain has been composting since 1991.) Dagmar Baur, was a community gardener living in the Co-op -2010, she led the greening initiatives and received a personal award by the City of Toronto for "Lifetime Achievement in Gardening".
Visits: For tours please check: www.lostrivers.ca/WalkSchd.htm or www.treetours.to go to "online tours" for a virtual visit, or "upcoming tours" to find the next real tour of the site.
Many nature and garden associations regularly tour the site.
Website: There is more information and photos on these websites: www.100bain.com (See "Tour the property section")
www.treetours.to/bain-coop (Includes a map of the Co-op)
Content last modified on July 27, 2010, at 03:19 PM EST