President's Message
By Suzanne Maranda
Let’s be optimistic in this world gone crazy; let’s hope we’ve seen the last snowstorm; instead, let’s dream about spring, of planting seeds, of digging in the soil. Even cleaning up the garden sounds like a wonderful idea, no?
We had a few visitors last Saturday, at the new venue on Concession Street. Everyone left with a nice stash of seeds. I hope you will share your experiences with us, good or bad, with either starting seeds indoors, or seeding directly in the ground once it's warm enough.
While we are still inside, we thought this would be a good time to ask for your feedback about spring and summer activities. Even though activities last summer were still restricted, it was useful to get our members’ input through the survey. Let’s try again, with some different ideas this year. You will notice that we are not asking about the spring plant sale. We decided that, since this is a well-loved activity, we will go ahead with a sale as long as things continue to improve regarding the pandemic. I will be reaching out to the folks who helped plan previous sales, but anyone is welcome to join in – please email me directly marandasmj@gmail.com. We will need one or two Zoom meetings, a few emails, and then people on the ground during the sale. This would be a sale open to the public, so we will need a lot of plants, like in BC years (BC: Before Covid - LOL).
The deadline to respond to the Activity Survey is March 15 – thank you all!
In addition to the survey, I continue to monitor plans for the Year of the Garden. We have a small committee planning some activities for Kingston and would like to put together a list of gardens and garden centres to visit in our region. See below to tell us your top picks.
Finally, I have to share with you my crazy little experiment: have you ever tried to grow lettuce from the remains of a purchased head of lettuce? I read about this and was curious to try it. I look forward to eating it soon!
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Zoom Meeting
Thursday, March 10th at 7:00
Judith Cox will present:
Into the Night Garden
Your garden does not cease to be a garden once the sun goes down.
Let’s explore the night-time garden and learn how to make the most of it with pollinators, colours and light.
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Registration required by Wednesday, March 9th
Learn, Grow, Share
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Never Zoom'd before and don't know where to start?
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Check out these resources:
- Zoom FAQ's
- Step-by-step Guide (PDF)
- Video and Tutorial
- Or send us an email kingstonhortsoc@gmail.com and we'll try to help you out
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Backyard Birds: Listen Up!
Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00 pm
Hosted by Friends of the Salmon River and Friends of the Napanee River.
Do you want to learn more about the birds in your backyard? Kyle Blaney - a skilled birder and nature photographer - will use his photographs to show you a sample of birds that might show up at your bird feeder. He will describe their behaviour, share recordings of their sounds, and provide advice about their favourite food.
For more information click here
To Register, click on the logo.
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OHA's Trillium Newsletter
Interested in seeing what other societies in the province are doing? Stay updated with the latest OHA news. Follow the link to the latest issue of the OHA’s Trillium newsletter.
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Year of the Garden
You’re invited to join in the fun and “Live the Garden Life” during the Year of the Garden 2022, a celebration of everything garden and gardening related in Canada.
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Ontario Invasive Plants
Following up on last month's talk, Thugs, Bullies and Sneaks with Rebecca Last, here is a link to Grow Me Instead from the Ontario Invasive Plant Council.
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Project or Activity Application
Do you have an idea for a project or activity for GK members?
This new application will help you present your idea to the Board and help the Board decide whether the suggestion is a good fit for GK, and merits funding and resources.
Click for more information
or visit the website under the membership tab. |
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We Want Your Top Picks
As things start to open-up again, what garden places are you dreaming of?
Help us put together a listing of member's favourite garden destinations:
If you could visit only one garden centre this summer, which one would it be?
Share your top pick here
If you had a garden buddy visiting from out of town, what garden attraction would you take them to first?
Share your top pick here
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Gardener's Journal
Gardening Kingston Members tell their stories.
Learn along with them.
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Rebecca's Story
After a long hard winter, the humble viola is a welcome harbinger of spring. It is a versatile plant, at home both in containers and as bedding plants.
Violas are very easy to grow from seed. As they should be started 12-14 weeks before last frost, it is the perfect time to start them now.
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Your Story
Do you have a story to tell about your garden? Share something you've learned or some project you're working on, so that we can all grow together. Contact me at columbine.editor@gmail.com
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