Spring has officially sprung here on this side of the globe, and gardeners in Niagara-on-the-Lake are preparing to refresh raised beds and tend to perennials.
At a March 24 meeting at the NOTL Community Centre, the NOTL Horticultural Society hosted guest speakers who shared advice on creating, maintaining and growing gardens.
Society president Wendy Cadman said vegetable and flower gardens are the most common in the area. She also highlighted several key tips echoed by speakers:
Clean up leaves carefully, paying attention to timing. Cadman said “a lot of insects” and “little garden creatures” that benefit gardens live beneath them.
Edge garden beds to create a “nice clean line or curve.”
Prune, including cutting back tall grasses left over winter. She said to leave clippings temporarily, as they provide “nesting material” for birds and animals before being cleared.
Avoid raking too early. Cadman said April is a better time to start, despite the temptation to begin sooner.
The meeting also featured “Garden Gossip,” led by membership director Kathryn O’Grady, who shared additional advice — including a tip from former president Joanne Young, who died last year.
“When the forsythia blooms, it’s time to prune,” she said.
Guest speaker Catherine McGill, second vice-president of the Ontario Horticultural Association, offered practical demonstrations using tools such as a mini-chainsaw and electric pruner.
McGill, who has worked as a chef, blacksmith, horse trainer and riding instructor, shared a range of advice, from choosing comfortable kneeling pads to selecting durable walkway materials.
“You get old when you stop gardening,” said McGill.
She also emphasized her guiding philosophy: “if you can’t find humour in what you’re doing, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
The society also honoured Young, who designed a garden behind the NOTL Public Library in 2017. The space has been renamed the Joanne Memorial Garden, and the group is seeking volunteers to help maintain it.
“A great deal of our fall was spent remembering Joanne and thinking of ways to honour her,” said Cadman. “She was our head guru.”
The society will hold a plant sale May 9, during Mother’s Day weekend, and its annual garden tour July 11.
