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What happens when a city dweller with no gardening experience gets pulled into a leadership position for a communal permaculture project? He starts using all his spare time to grow food and grow community in Toronto’s east end.
That’s the story of Patrick Tohill who, along with our own Erin Alladin, co-founded Garden@Kimbourne Community Permaculture Project in 2014. It’s been six years since Erin left the city, so we’ve invited Pat to give an update on the garden’s growth, to tell us about his own evolution from novice to educator, and to share his wisdom about not only starting but maintaining a successful community project. We talk about defying spacing guidelines, growing vertically with repurposed materials, convincing beginners they can garden, and sustaining volunteer energy through meaningful partnerships. Threaded all the way through, of course, are the principles of permaculture and all the ways Garden@Kimbourne is applying them.
Find Garden@Kimbourne Online
Website: https://kimbourne.org/garden
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gardenkimbourne
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardenkimbourne/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GardenKimbourne
Resources Mentioned
Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City by Hadley Dyer https://hadleydyer.com/book/potatoes-rooftops-farming-city/
My Gardens Spot yard-share app https://mygardensspot.com/
Comments? Feedback? Want your garden question to be featured in a future Q&A segment?
Email us, reach out over social media, or get Q&A priority by supporting us on Patreon.
Discord: https://discord.gg/K6wF9dY4Ja
Bluesky: @plantsalwayswin.com
TikTok: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
YouTube: @plantsalwayswinpodcast
Website: www.plantsalwayswin.com
Credits
Website Design and Illustration by Sophia Alladin
Intro and Outro Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/when-my-ukulele-plays
License code: GWOIMMBAS15FG6PH
Timestamps
00:14 Intro
01:10 Meet Patrick Tohill and Garden@Kimbourne
02:00 Co-Founding a Communal Permaculture Garden With Zero Experience
06:56 Anybody Can Garden
10:20 You Can Grow Plants Closer Together Than You Think
12:50 What Garden@Kimbourne is Growing (It’s a lot!)
13:46 Dealing with Critters the Permaculture Way
15:25 The Pollinator Gardens
16:42 The Islington United Indoor Hydroponic Garden
17.42 The New Yard Sharing App
18:00 Potatoes on Rooftops: Gardening in the City
18:52 Companion Planting and Integrate; Don’t Segregate
20:10 Growing Vertically to Save Space and Mitigate Disease
23:25 Sustaining Projects Through Meaningful Partnerships
30:18 What Garden@Kimbourne is Dreaming for the Future
33:09 How to Get Involved with Garden@Kimbourne
34:23 Final Words of Wisdom
34:48 Conclusion and Outro