They’re baaaaack! The Bayview Pixies, that is, only this time, it’s to bring gifts and a little piece of magic to every garden in the community, and not just Bayview.
In celebration of Earth Day, the Pixies will be offering free native plant seeds to our local gardeners. That’s right, FREE! On Sat., April 20th, you’ll find Pixies stationed at a few locations along Bayview Ave.
These are no ordinary plant seeds either. They are all Ontario grown, non-GMO, wild harvested and chemical-free. That’s not all. The Pixies [full disclosure: I am a Pixie] selected the prettiest and most essential plants that are drought tolerant and easy to grow. There’s even a selection of plants that do well in containers for balcony growers – all funded by the Pixies.
Why? For the Pixies, every day is Earth Day, and we believe adding native plants to your garden is one of the best things you can do for the planet. By using locally grown native plants, your landscape becomes a part of a larger, and much healthier ecosystem. We also believe that even the smallest positive action – even one seed at a time – can make a huge difference.
Helen Godfrey has been a Pixie from the very beginning. “Just imagine if every garden here had one or two native plants to support the birds, bees and butterflies. This neighbourhood would become a pollinator paradise!”
Who are the Pixies?
If you’re new to the ’hood, you might not know anything about this merry band of volunteer gardeners. Or that from 2016-2018, they were the gardening goddesses of Bayview Ave.
In their black garden aprons, the Pixies were often seen scurrying up and down Bayview with carts, shovels, brooms and watering cans. Cars would honk, and shopkeepers would step outside to say “I love you, Pixies!” which only added more joyful energy to the magic.
All women and seniors, the Pixies volunteered with the Bayview Leaside BIA to create a sustainable planting project on our high street. The mission was simply to make the street clean and beautiful in a responsible and sustainable way. They planted phlox to attract pollinators, cedars to absorb the toxic car fumes, and even harvested their own rainwater.
In just two years, they garnered numerous awards, brought some much-needed positive energy to the community, and were even featured on CTV news!
When the BIA board decided they wanted to plant more colourful floral displays of exotic annuals, the Pixies quit Bayview.
But that didn’t stop this gang of ‘green grannies’ from remaining a solid group of friends. I know, because not only am I a Pixie, I’m their leader!
Once a group of 12, today we stand at 10. Over the past six years, the bond has grown stronger, thanks to our weekly Pixie Reports. We talk about aches and pains, share insights, laughs, discuss the environment, politics, and raise our voices by signing countless petitions. But in all this time, we’ve been searching for another way to help both our community and the environment. We think the seed giveaway is it.
Leaside Life colleague Janis Fertuck, also a long-time Pixie, says, “I hope this seed initiative will provide information and inspiration to the community to find more responsible ways to beautify our gardens and extend the message of Earth Day.”
If the seed giveaway is a success, the Pixies hope to repeat this event on every Earth Day! So, stop by, say hello and pick up your free native plant seeds. It’s time to sow some Pixie magic in your garden!
Or as Pixie Linda Fox says, “Plant a Pixie seed. Sun and soil are all you need!”
