BIRDS OF A FEATHER THEMED GARDENS DESIGNED TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH NATURE STORY BY KAREN PATON-EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CANADA BLOOMS
CANADA BLOOMS ARE THERE MORE birds in your neighbourhood now? Has the birdsong always been so joyful? When did that little feisty fellow and his mate move into your backyard? Among the blessings that have accompanied the challenges of being isolated at home during COVID-19 measures is that we are growing more observant of the other living creatures in our midst. Being home during the day when many of us would typically be at work, school or volunteer locations has opened our eyes and ears to the activity of birds. Resting our eyes from screens during online meetings or, even better, taking time to just be, a slow scan of the outdoors may reveal a community of birds busy building nests, shopping for food, getting their kids fed, singing for the heck of it and playfully chasing friends across the air. With exception of the flying part, it turns out our feathered neighbours are a lot like us. It’s wonderful to get to know them better. This is the intended message of Canada Blooms 2020. Themed Birds of a Feather, the
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nation’s largest celebration of flowers and gardens displayed front yard, backyard and balcony gardens adorned with bird-motif décor, dotted with bird baths and feeders, and planted with avian attractors. Unfortunately, the beautiful gardens created through the imagination and hard work of Landscape Ontario and many top designers and landscapers could not be
viewed by the 180,000 guests anticipated to attend the 24th annual Canada Blooms. The night before opening on March 13 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto, the COVID19 outbreak shut it all down. Before the gardens were dismantled, organizers scrambled to take photos and video (canadablooms.com) to share with the disappointed public. Since Windsor Life
