
GOOD NEWS! - Our boulevard gardens help to conserve our native bees and other pollinators by increasing habitat. All of our services - consultation, design, ongoing advice, plants and delivery, regular monitoring of the garden during the first and second years - are free. Our members, volunteers and donors make it happen!
01/
Care for your new garden
1. YOU MUST BE A CURRENT YEAR BB MEMBER. Make sure your membership is up-to-date.
-
Find the membership form here.
2. BB Garden application form: Submit your BB garden application online. ONLY Mississauga property owners with an appropriate road allowance site will be accepted for a free residential boulevard garden.
​
3. Site visit: In the spring (April-May), a BB team will schedule a visit to your property to assess your prospective site's growing conditions, advise you on how to get ready for your garden, and answer your questions.
​
3. City permit: The City of Mississauga requires a boulevard garden permit. No fee is required for our gardens. During the site visit, BB will help you complete your city permit application process.
-
Download the City's Boulevard Garden Encroachment Permit application and Acceptable Plantings forms here.
​
4. If you are a community organization, local institution or business, we can provide you with our native plants, consultation and design services for a reasonable fee.
02/
Care for your new garden
Site prep:
-
Mark site dimensions: allow 30 cm2 (1 sq. ft) per plant, plus a 45 cm (18 inch) border on all sides.
-
Locate underground utility lines (as, phone, cable, etc)
-
Contact Ontario One Call - it's best to do this early: www.on1call.com or phone 1-800-400-2255.
-
Remove all existing vegetation, including roots. Do when ground is soft. PLEASE NOTE: This is a physically strenuous job and is challenging for many people - allow lots of time to do this, and/or make arrangements to get help. BB does NOT provide this service.
-
Condition the soil: Add 6 to 8cm (2 to 3 inches) of compost (such as composted manure, mushroom compost, worm compost, etc.) and mix it into the top 10 cm (4 inches) of soil.
Planting:
-
We will email you a choice of pick up dates.
-
Plants are assembled for same day planting. Diagram & advice on planting & placement given.
-
Planting tools needed: a garden trowel, hose and/or watering can and water.
-
Dig holes to depth of plant roots, install plants, and water them.
-
Cover bare soil around plants with 5 cm (1 inch) layer of shredded pine bark mulch.
03/
Care for your new garden
Aftercare:
-
Maintain the depth of shredded pine bark mulch to suppress weeds and retain surface moisture for this growing season.
-
Young plants will need to be watered twice a week for their first 6 weeks, then gradually taper off amount of irrigation. Young plants will need water during drought as well.
-
Pull weed seedlings when they sprout. Perennial weeds can be repeatedly cut off below ground level until they die.
​
Our garden stewards have access to our private Facebook group, where photos and info are shared and questions are answered.
Applications for free 2025 boulevard gardens are now being accepted.
* membership needed first please
Here is what we offer our garden stewards:
​
-
Preliminary site visit assessment.
-
Assistance with city permit process.
-
Advice on how to get your new garden site ready for planting.
-
Up to 50 free native plants matched to your garden site.
-
Planting: Plant pickup dates between mid-May - early June.
-
Plant info, online garden workshops and presentations.
-
Aftercare advice.
-
Info & advice via our private Garden Steward Facebook group.