Going back to the roots of our Love Family Healing rooftop garden
September 2, 2025
Going back to the roots of our Love Family Healing rooftop garden
The Love Family Healing Garden cuts through to the sky atop Casey House’s fourth floor, serving as a place for healing, community, and rest. Established for more than five years, the garden has already cycled through nearly 20 seasons.
March, April, May, and July 2025
Construction on the garden was completed in 2020 just as COVID lockdowns started and the surrounding world was closed. For the staff and clients who remained onsite, it was an oasis. The new green space provided access to a safe and semi-private connection to nature.
Once outpatient client programming resumed, it didn’t take long before things started to bloom. The gardening program led by our recreational therapists invites clients to care for, harvest, and enjoy a variety of plants, flowers, and vegetables. Accessible gardening space can be rare in downtown Toronto, so we are pleased to share this space with our budding gardeners. Clients enjoy getting their hands dirty while under the sun, whether they are learning new skills or dusting off old ones. Gardening together brings camaraderie, and in more serene moments, opens the floor for casual group discussions on health, life, updates, and other personal musings. Our gardeners develop a sense of belonging and accomplishment from participating in the program.
The fruits of their labour make their way from farm to table. Clients are able to witness their dedication and care transforming seedlings into fully grown plants. Flowers are dried into tea or ground into healing topical salves. Edible plants are utilized in group sessions such as Pantry Builders or the Comforts of Home cooking workshops where they are prepared, pickled, and eaten. These include tomatoes, zucchinis, bok choy, radishes, lettuce, calendula, chamomile, and even a whopping pair of 9-foot-tall sunflowers in 2024. This season, the gardening session has expanded its programming to include stretching and socializing in the fresh air.
The Love Family Healing Garden is a tender place for growing plants, minds, and hearts. Earlier this year, we collaborated with our Indigenous advisory committee and Miinikaan garden consultants to redesign and replant the garden beds with Indigenous medicines. At the centre of the plot, a new medicine wheel format features sage, tobacco, cedar, and sweet grass; the four medicines featured in the smudge kits which are accessible in client spaces.
The first day of planting began with an inaugural garden gathering to welcome the new growth: a sacred fire and ceremony led by the Indigenous advisory committee. The new plants are thriving, and we look forward to seeing them support clients for years to come.
The Love Family Healing Garden is a tender place for growing plants, minds, and hearts. Earlier this year, we collaborated with our Indigenous advisory committee and Miinikaan garden consultants to redesign and replant the garden beds with Indigenous medicines. At the centre of the plot, a new medicine wheel format features sage, tobacco, cedar, and sweet grass; the four medicines featured in the smudge kits which are accessible in client spaces.
The first day of planting began with an inaugural garden gathering to welcome the new growth: a sacred fire and ceremony led by the Indigenous advisory committee. The new plants are thriving, and we look forward to seeing them support clients for years to come.
Recreational therapist Kristen with Sara and Lara from Miinikaan
Undoubtedly, there is more growth for our Love Family Healing Garden, but for now we are enjoying the lush beauty of the foliage. The garden has been the setting for many client programs, meetings, tours, lunches, and even the 2024 solar eclipse viewing. Whatever it is, the opportunities are fertile here and the sky’s the limit.
September 2, 2025
Going back to the roots of our Love Family Healing rooftop garden
The Love Family Healing Garden cuts through to the sky atop Casey House’s fourth floor, serving as a place for healing, community, and rest. Established for more than five years, the garden has already cycled through nearly 20 seasons.
March, April, May, and July 2025
Construction on the garden was completed in 2020 just as COVID lockdowns started and the surrounding world was closed. For the staff and clients who remained onsite, it was an oasis. The new green space provided access to a safe and semi-private connection to nature.
Once outpatient client programming resumed, it didn’t take long before things started to bloom. The gardening program led by our recreational therapists invites clients to care for, harvest, and enjoy a variety of plants, flowers, and vegetables. Accessible gardening space can be rare in downtown Toronto, so we are pleased to share this space with our budding gardeners. Clients enjoy getting their hands dirty while under the sun, whether they are learning new skills or dusting off old ones. Gardening together brings camaraderie, and in more serene moments, opens the floor for casual group discussions on health, life, updates, and other personal musings. Our gardeners develop a sense of belonging and accomplishment from participating in the program.
The fruits of their labour make their way from farm to table. Clients are able to witness their dedication and care transforming seedlings into fully grown plants. Flowers are dried into tea or ground into healing topical salves. Edible plants are utilized in group sessions such as Pantry Builders or the Comforts of Home cooking workshops where they are prepared, pickled, and eaten. These include tomatoes, zucchinis, bok choy, radishes, lettuce, calendula, chamomile, and even a whopping pair of 9-foot-tall sunflowers in 2024. This season, the gardening session has expanded its programming to include stretching and socializing in the fresh air.
The Love Family Healing Garden is a tender place for growing plants, minds, and hearts. Earlier this year, we collaborated with our Indigenous advisory committee and Miinikaan garden consultants to redesign and replant the garden beds with Indigenous medicines. At the centre of the plot, a new medicine wheel format features sage, tobacco, cedar, and sweet grass; the four medicines featured in the smudge kits which are accessible in client spaces.
The first day of planting began with an inaugural garden gathering to welcome the new growth: a sacred fire and ceremony led by the Indigenous advisory committee. The new plants are thriving, and we look forward to seeing them support clients for years to come.
The Love Family Healing Garden is a tender place for growing plants, minds, and hearts. Earlier this year, we collaborated with our Indigenous advisory committee and Miinikaan garden consultants to redesign and replant the garden beds with Indigenous medicines. At the centre of the plot, a new medicine wheel format features sage, tobacco, cedar, and sweet grass; the four medicines featured in the smudge kits which are accessible in client spaces.
The first day of planting began with an inaugural garden gathering to welcome the new growth: a sacred fire and ceremony led by the Indigenous advisory committee. The new plants are thriving, and we look forward to seeing them support clients for years to come.
Recreational therapist Kristen with Sara and Lara from Miinikaan
Undoubtedly, there is more growth for our Love Family Healing Garden, but for now we are enjoying the lush beauty of the foliage. The garden has been the setting for many client programs, meetings, tours, lunches, and even the 2024 solar eclipse viewing. Whatever it is, the opportunities are fertile here and the sky’s the limit.
March, April, May, June, July, and August 2025
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