THE STYLE AT HOME SHOW RUNS OCT 17-19. FRI 10AM-9PM; SAT10AM-7PM, 10AM-5PM. ECO DAY IS OCT 17, NOON-4PM. $14; $12 ADV/SENIORS. DIRECT ENERGY CENTRE, HALL A, EXHIBITION PLACE.
WWW.STYLEATHOMESHOW.COM.
For the Style at Home Show’s Eco Day (Oct. 17), Lorraine Johnson, an advocate for native-plants gardening and the author of the excellent The Gardener’s Manifesto (Penguin, $19, 272 pages) as well as the practical guides 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens (Whitecap, $24.95, 160 pages) and The New Ontario Naturalized Garden (Whitecap, $24.95, 224 pages), drew on a rich local reserve of innovative gardeners when curating an afternoon of fun and instructive lectures.
“Toronto has one of the most active and energetic communities of people who are working in the area and doing really great things,” she says. She cites a long list of committed non-profit organizations, including Toronto Community Garden Network and the Toronto Food Policy Council. For Friday’s event, she says, “I chose people whose work I really admire.” Here’s a quick overview of what to expect….
Roberta Stimac, noon
Heritage Plants: Growing Unusual Plants From Seed
Stimac, a board member of Seeds of Diversity and coordinator of Withrow Farmers’ Market, talks about growing heritage vegetables — like yellow beets, orange cauliflower and purple tomatoes — from seed.
Todd Irvine, 1pm
Native Trees for Toronto Gardens
Irvine, a certified arborist and Spacing magazine contributor who works for LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests), gives an introduction to native trees suitable for Toronto gardens, including “the showy redbud, iconic sugar maple and stately red oak.”
Gayla Trail, 2pm
Guerrilla Gardening: Greening the City
Trail discusses the politics behind outlaw acts of community gardening in abandoned lots and underused areas of the urban landscape.
Laura Berman, 3pm
Small Space? No Problem! Urban Veggie Growing
Berman, a long-time gardener with a special interest in urban food production and community gardens, offers creative solutions for growing food in cramped quarters.