We are a group of friends based in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and we grow native plants from seed. What sets us apart is the belief that gardening is a political act, and choosing the types of plants and the care you provide has lasting impacts. Some of our guiding principles are:
- We believe in a gift economy where we share knowledge, resources and care.
- We will never undermine existing labour structures as we understand that having the ability to volunteer is a privilege and we are not there to take away work from someone who relies on it for their livelihood.
- Our goal is to work with marginalized communities or educational groups to help them build their own internal knowledge and capabilities.
We grow native plants by winter-sowing them in the fall/winter and potting them up and sharing varieties together during the spring.
How can gardening be political?
A large number of people see gardening as a chance to get away from the stress and anxiety of everyday activities and escaping politics. You may think that making gardening political makes it stressful, but I will argue that it’s actually the opposite.
Seeing how your choices in what you plant, how you care for them and the types of social relationships you build along the way are all political acts as they question power dynamics and how society is shaped. In a “free-market” society, we are encouraged to see ourselves as an individual, competing with others for scarce resources, and the only way to be happy is to ‘consume’ things that make us happy. We have another view:
We see each other as a community of friends in a world of abundance where there is enough for everyone already. We draw upon the kindness and generosity of the world and share its gifts, and our resources and time. We also recognize that gardening connects us with all other creatures and what we see as a ‘hobby’ directly affects their ability to live. Plants native to an area are part of a web of life that sustain all creatures – including humans!
This is a talk I gave about a few years ago that helps explain this view.
I hope you join our growing community of friends as we work together to build friendships, community and awareness of the power of our actions.
