THEY LOVE GARDENING

By Lorraine Hunter

Susan Lipchak has been volunteering in the garden at the TBG for 14 years. “I guess one might surmise that I continue to enjoy the experience— getting to know and work with other like-minded gardeners and having the opportunity to learn and pick up tips about gardening,” she says.

The social aspect is important to her as well as helping to keep the gardens as attractive as possible. “I love being at the TBG,” says Susan, who became more serious about gardening after retiring as a violist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 40 years. She started taking gardening courses at the former Civic Garden Centre, began volunteering in 2007 and became a Toronto Master Gardener not long after that. Susan is also a TBG tour guide and she has a large garden of her own to look after.

There are currently 28 volunteer gardeners divided into three teams working one of three shifts a week from 8 a.m. until noon on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Susan’s team works on Thursdays.

Team members meet with the seasonal gardeners at 8 a.m. on their designated day and determine who is working on what. It could be weeding, planting bulbs or whatever else needs doing. “We usually have a choice of what we want to work on,” says Susan. “It works out very positively.”

Susan is constantly surprised by the number of people “who stop to ask us where the hummingbirds are.” Usually seen around the spiral mound and the containers of brightly coloured flowers nearby, there are fewer this year because we didn’t have access to as many annuals this spring.”

Despite this, she feels the gardens “are looking the best they’ve been for quite a number of years—even through all the COVID-19 turmoil— especially the knot garden and the perennial borders. On our final volunteer day last November, we couldn’t believe that there was nothing else for us to do. That had never happened before.”

Susan credits seasonal gardeners Dean Ruhnke and Sasan Beni, and now Megan Blacquiere for managing the TBG gardens in such an effective, productive manner. “Already this year we have weeded areas twice that have been problematic for years!”

Susan has great respect for Dean’s knowledge and ability to keep everyone organized. “Actually, the main reason that I have continued as a garden volunteer is the fact that Dean was hired again this season,” she says. “He knows what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, delegates well and is a hard worker. He’s passionate about the TBG and maintaining the gardens to a high standard.”

For their part, the seasonal gardeners have nothing but praise for the volunteers. “The Department of Horticulture believes the garden volunteers are simply amazing. We adore them,” says Dean. “They help us make the gardens look amazing by working beside us, especially on those unromantic days of single digits and rain or over 40 degrees. Not only would the gardens not look the same without the garden volunteers but we enjoy their company greatly.”

The volunteers were not able to work in the gardens until July last year because of the pandemic. This year, from April until July 1 they put in 1,256 hours in the garden according to TBG Volunteer Coordinator Sue Hills.

Garden volunteer Susan Lipchak on the job.

“The past two years have been challenging,” says Sue. “The garden volunteers have been there for us in spades, pardon the pun. Why? Because they love gardening. They care about these gardens. Some miss their own gardens having moved into condos or apartments.”

There is a wait list for becoming a garden volunteer. Approximately two thirds return each year, says Sue. “We start recruiting for new members in February. Most are active Baby Boomers. Several are Toronto Master Gardeners and two are on the TBG Board of Directors. We have some mother/son and mother/daughter teams. We have some school age children with parental permission, most often with a parent.”

Many garden volunteers have formed lasting friendships while working together in the garden.

The biggest challenge for most — the one that separates the weeds from the chaff — is the 8 a.m. start but that is so that the four-hour shifts can end at noon before it gets too hot.

It’s hard work,” says Sue. “They have to show up rain or shine.” But, obviously it’s worth it for dedicated volunteers like Susan and the others who keep coming back year after year after year.