Giving a bucketload of help

Many of the trees lining the west side of Bayview Avenue have been spruced up.

On the stretch spanning Hillsdale Avenue East to Davisville Avenue some are sporting small decorations, while others have plants joining them in their planters.

Much of it is thanks to Bayview Buckets, an initiative started by Davisville resident Helen Godfrey, who canvasses local businesses every spring, asking them to take ownership and care for the green neighbours living just outside their doors.

Godfrey told the Town Crier about the now two-year-old initiative during a walk down that stretch of Bayview on Sept. 24, which happened to be National Tree Day.

“Every spring I just go down the street, talk to the store owners and ask them if they’re still on board with the idea,” she said. “They agree to adopt the tree in front of their business, and in hot, dry weather they’re supposed to give at least three buckets of water a week — but we hope they do more.”

Though watering trees is thought of as a summer activity, Godfrey said it’s important for business owners to water the trees all the way through fall, especially when the weather is dry.

“I wish everybody would get on board and make their planters special,” said Michael Renaud, who has been taking care of a tree outside of his Horticultural Designs store since the initiative began. “It would be nice to see different ones in front of every business.”

Real estate broker Susan Byford, who was part of the committee that planned it, calls the initiative “helpful” and says it “brings people together to take care of our street.”

Godfrey says she hopes one day all the businesses on Bayview Avenue will be involved. Right now there “a few” that don’t participate.

“It’s a very small initiative, but it’s something,” she said. “I think people are becoming more aware of how badly we need trees in Toronto.”