By: Nancy Harvey
Avalon Meadow is, at first glance, an insignificant 3.66-acre triangle of land tucked south of County Road 124 just west of the parking lot for Devil’s Glen Provincial Park. The property consists of two vegetation communities: a gently sloping meadow (78%) and a deciduous forest (the remainder). Until recently, hikers passed quickly along Avalon Meadow’s 183 meters of trail to escape the traffic noise of 124 and to get to the more spectacular escarpment features beyond.
But now hikers stop. Right beside the trail, there are two new garden beds packed with native, sun-loving plants. Avalon Meadow now has the distinction of being the site of the first-ever seed orchard in the Blue Mountain section.
The planting of seed orchards is an initiative started by the BTC in 2022. A seed orchard is a planned garden, planted with native species local to the area, intended not for propagation or replanting but specifically as a source of seeds. As the BTC campaign to remove invasive species and restore land has grown, the availability of native seed stock has not. Normal commercial supply chains of native species are unreliable. Seed orchards are the solution. Now the BTC is growing its own seed stock.
The first BTC seed orchard was planted in the Iroquoia section in 2022, the second in the Niagara section, and the third in the Caledon section. They are now thriving and producing millions of seeds annually. Volunteers collect seeds and scatter them in designated areas along the conservation corridor to outcompete invasive species and encourage the growth of local native species.
On a grim, cold October morning in 2024, nine volunteers and I gathered in the drizzle to create the first seed orchard in the Blue Mountain section. Under the direction of Restoration Project Specialist Lindsey Wilkersen, we prepared two beds. We removed stubborn periwinkle, cleared branches, loosened the rocky soil and planted 180 native plants in 6” pots, including Nannyberry, Big Blue Stem, Wild Bergamot, Canada Wild Rye, Black-eyed Susan and Pin cherry trees. Our final task was to install short wooden stakes with small identifying signs describing each species and, on the reverse, the best way to collect their seeds.
The seed orchard took a serious hit in the ice storm of March 2025. Like much of the Bruce Trail, it was completely buried in a jumble of large fallen boughs and branches. But the beauty of native species is that they are hearty, and almost all 180 plants survived and flourished over the course of the long, hot, dry summer.
This fall, as the days grew shorter and colder and the plants began gradually producing seeds over the weeks and months, volunteers gathered, dried, and stored the seeds. The Black-eyed Susan and Canada Wild Rye were the most prolific this season, but seed yields will change year to year depending on the growing season.
Our spring plan is to store the seeds in large glass jars in the small wooden shed on the edge of Avalon Meadow. That way, they can be accessed by any keen BTC volunteer and deployed where needed to outcompete invasive species and restore the Blue Mountain section with native species grown sustainably and locally.
I want to acknowledge the nine valiant gardeners who came out in the rain with all their tools to plant the garden and who visit regularly to clear, weed and gather seeds. Thank you, Doug Macfarlane, Janet Boychuk, Lori Edwards, Wendy Evans, Alison Goodsall, Bev Miller, John Rheume, Nancy Rheume and Ernie Spraggs.
So, if you’re hiking through the Blue Mountains section, take the time to linger in Avalon Meadow – an innocuous landscape but part of a great new initiative to restore our beautiful Bruce trail. Peek into the shed to admire the seeds, yank out a few weeds in the garden, and, if you’d like to be more involved, text me, Nancy Harvey, Avalon Meadow Land Steward, at 416-770-2455.
Avalon Seed Orchard Creation
The BTC targeted 2024 for the establishment of a Seed Orchard on a BMBTC location. To date, two seed orchards have been developed: one in the Iroquois and Niagara sections. As the name suggests, our club’s selected site is an open meadow with a gentle slope facing south. Nancy Harvey, the property’s land steward, has been instrumental in establishing the BMBTC Club’s first seed orchard. The site is owned by BTC, has good road access, and is relatively close to a water source.
With help from BTC’s Trail Ambassadors and other Blue Mountain Bruce Trail Club volunteers, site preparation began in the fall of 2024. On October 7th, despite the drizzle and cool temperatures, ten volunteers prepared two triangular beds and then planted 180 plants, including Nannyberry, Big Blue Stem, Wild Bergamot and Canada Wild Rye. They also planted seven Pin Cherry trees to designate the corners of the beds. The black-eyed Susans and common milkweed intended for the Seed Orchard were not available but will be planted later. A seed orchard is a managed plantation of specifically selected plants to be used for the mass production of genetically verified seeds to create seeds or plants to be used to establish or enhance future restoration projects. They are designed and managed to produce genetically superior to those obtained from seed production areas, seed stands, or unimproved stands.
A seed orchard is a long-term project and should be expected to remain on the site for 30-45 years. The initial work for setting up a seed orchard includes, but is not limited to:
- Choosing an appropriate site, ideally underutilized BTC lands
- Preparing the site, i.e. rototilling, weeding, edging
- Planting appropriate plugs and/or sowing seeds
- Ongoing monitoring and replanting where necessary
Learn more about BTC Seed Orchards by watching this previously recorded webinar hosted by Lyndsey Wilderson, Restoration Project Specialist at the BTC.
