Diggin’ It

In a world where hand sanitizer stations are popping up faster than summer flowers, are we teaching our kids that dirt is bad? Sure there are lots of dirty situations that we want to avoid (let’s not run down that list right now), but sometimes dirt can be fun, fantastic and full of learning, too.

If you want to reintroduce your kids to the wonders of what dirt can do (home for bugs and animals, host for plants, medium for art), a trip to the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) may be the best place to get the dirt. Tucked in a quiet corner of our great city on the beautiful and verdant Don Mills ravine, the TBG (you may know it as Edwards Gardens) is open daily from dawn until dusk and admission is free (parking is free too).

At the Western-most edge of the TBG, past the lovely creek and waterfall and up the wooded trail, you’ll discover the teaching garden a lovingly tended plot designed for young gardeners and stage for many educational outings. The crops growing here are varied and gathered by topic (prehistoric plants grow around a metal stegosaurus) and have been mostly planted by students. Your kids will love the bugs and butterflies the garden attracts and we love that the crops harvested here will go to a local food bank.

Good to know: if you are visiting the teaching garden with a stroller or very small children, the best way to enter is from the TBG’s back entrance off of The Bridle Path. You’ll find a small gated entrance just south of Lawrence where street parking is allowed. It’s easier than climbing up the hill!

The stand of pine trees beside the teaching garden provides the perfect shady place to picnic. It’s also a great location to watch the other creatures that make the garden their home. Rabbits, ducks, chipmunks, red squirrels and a wide variety of birds all love this beautiful spot and don’t mind sharing it either.

To get the most out of your visit, before leaving home, a visit to the TBG’s website is a great idea. They also puts on fantastic children’s birthday parties with amazing nature-oriented activities. Info is available at www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca.

Can you dig it?

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