Garden Party

What better way to pay homage to Canada on her big birthday than by investing in the very soil that holds this great country together? Edible gardening is a healthy, sustainable idea with a long history. We’re taking a page from our past and planting the seeds for the next 150 years, give or take. Here’s to a beautiful, healthy summer!

- Tara Nolan

IT’S HARD TO SAY WHERE THE RESURGENCE IN edible gardening started, but you could trace it back to the 100-mile diet from years ago – a concept that has since blossomed to include notions of food security, along with knowing where our food comes from and the instant gratification of picking a sugar snap pea from a plant we’ve nurtured ourselves.

One of the first grow-your-own movements dates back to the victory garden idea that was born during the First World War and swelled during the Second World War. The idea was that if Canadians could grow their own food in whatever free space was available, such as front yards and abandoned lots, it would free up rail cars and transport trucks to ship essential items overseas. It also ensured that everyone had access to fresh, healthy food in the event that shipments couldn’t get through.

That thinking is pretty relevant in today’s eco-conscious world, given that a lot of the food we see at the grocery store has been shipped across continents and oceans to reach us.

But even thinking beyond global implications, the very idea of being able to step out your patio door and snip salad greens for dinner or pluck a ripe tomato to top a summer burger is pretty satisfying.