BE-LEAF it!
Mark Cullen reports from the tree line,
“Trees are determined, patient and resilient. I try my best to be like them.”
— Janet Mckay
If you have been following my column in the Star lately, you will have noticed that a theme of trees has been developing. This is not intentional. It’s the result of new information about the “transformational power” of these quiet giants as it relates to our urban life. It also has to do with the coincidental arrival of information on my desk that absolutely begs to be shared.
Just such information arrived the other day. This is news that should have many (if not most) land owners/homeowners in the GTA saving. Saving money. Saving the environment. Saving our streets and boosting our economy. LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) is a notfor-profit organization that has trees and people ready to spring into action right now.
In Toronto and south-central York Region, LEAF offers a fullservice backyard tree-planting program.” This includes a yard consultation with an arborist who will advise you on planting the right tree in the right place. LEAF offers six-foot to eight-foot trees and full planting service for about $150 to $220, depending on the tree selected and whether it is “bare root” or potted. You will likely find that the LEAF tree is competitively priced.
The organization is supported by various government programs and private donors, such as Ontario Power Generation, Live Green Toronto and Toronto Hydro.
Although there are many quality trees at competitive prices available at retailers across the province, the greatest value of the LEAF program is the service it provides. “It’s really the service/education side of things that LEAF provides as extras,” says executive director Janet Mckay. “Helping people through the process of selecting an appropriate species (think sun, soil, space above and below ground, other uses of the yard, future changes to the property such as decks or extensions, potential conflicts with other trees or structures).”
Mckay adds that LEAF locates the most appropriate place in your yard for the new tree, digs the hole, removes unwanted, subgrade soil and plants the tree for you.
All species are native and many are not available at retail nurseries. Each planting comes with a care guide and you are welcome to call their hotline should you have questions. About one in five trees is checked up on in order to evaluate the success of the program. The current survival rate is better than 95 per cent.
CONTRACTOR FOR TREES
You might wonder why such an organization exists. Afterall, aren’t there lots of private contractors and retailers in the market doing the same thing? Well, yes and no.
Yes: There are lots of trees available for sale at retailers and by contractors, and many of them compete on the price of the tree.
No: Contractors and retailers are not in the business of providing a private consultation on the locating and planting of one tree. There is simply no profit in it.
If you are interested in landscaping your yard or planting trees larger than the 1.5- to 2.5-metrehigh native trees that LEAF specializes in, you would be best to call a neighbourhood professional. Start by visiting the trade association, Landscape Ontario (landscapeontario.com), and check out the exhaustive list of gardening professionals listed under “Contact a Company.”
However, if you wish to make a contribution to the biodiversity of our urban spaces by adding a native tree or two to your property, LEAF is likely your best bet for solid advice and a good deal.
This is the time of year when trees can be planted bare root (not in a pot or roots wrapped in burlap). Through April and the first week of May, trees can be planted this way with outstanding results.
17,000 TREES
LEAF has planted more than 17,000 trees in its 16 years, most of them in Toronto. Mckay is a founding board member and a primary inspiration behind the group’s existence.
“I am in total awe of trees. They are living miracles,” she says. “They appear still and silent, but when you look closely, they are bustling with movement and life. Without them we wouldn’t have the necessities of life.
“I want it all — to live in an exciting, vibrant city and still have nature all around me. I believe that we can have both.” How did the concept of LEAF come to life? “(We) followed the basic principles of permaculture, which are to act locally, design your communities around nature and make sure that everything you do has at least three purposes,” she says. “Trees provide shade and energy conservation, wildlife habitat, storm-water retention, airquality improvements, psychological benefits, and the list goes on and on.”
Obviously she found more than three reasons to plant native trees in the urban environment.
Desirable trees generally do not plant themselves — invasive species do.
TREES AS INFRASTRUCTURE
Sixteen years ago, the term “urban forest” did not exist in our common lexicon. While we are generally more aware of the vital role that trees make in our lives, we still need to integrate trees into our plans for future urban infrastructure.
This is the ultimate wish of the LEAF organization: to get government and developers to consider saving existing trees and to plant more of them as development becomes more intensified. Trees are a vital part of our urban infrastructure. We need to build like we believe this.
For more information, go to yourleaf.org and click on “plant trees.” I recommend you contact them within the next week to beat the spring rush. Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author and broadcaster. You can sign up for his free monthly newsletter at markcullen.com.