The Fig Tree That Built a Community: A Story of Care, Culture, and Connection

The revised fig book is now on Kickstarter
The special hardcover edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t and registration for the October 15 and 22 Fig Camp are available now. A lower-priced softcover will follow this fall.
See the book and Fig Camp options.
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In this episode, I chat with Helena Moncrieff, author of The Fruitful City, to explore a moving story from Toronto—one that begins with a fig tree and grows into something much bigger.

Helena shares the story of Francesco, a gardener whose towering backyard fig tree became the heart of an annual tradition. Each fall, neighbours, friends, and even strangers would gather to help perform the ritual of tipping the tree over to protect it through the winter. Or, later, as it got bigger, to help him wrap it. Lots of heavy work, but a shared act of growing food and cultural heritage.

What started as a cold-climate fig-growing necessity blossomed into a powerful symbol of community.  

If the idea of tipping fig trees for the winter interests you, here’s an article that explains how to do it.