The Fort Frances Horticultural Society will resume its regular meetings March 26. They will be held the fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the old CN station.
This year promises to be another busy one with lots of interesting programs planned. It is a special year as the Fort Frances Horticultural Society will be sponsoring a visit by Chris Graham of the Royal Botanical Gardens on Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Knox United Church.
Graham will speak on new perennials for our area.
Memberships will be available at the March meeting along with the program booklet for the year. The theme this year is “Storybook Gardens.”
Committee chairpersons have been designated and members can choose the committee of their choice.
The annual Flower and Vegetable Show will be held Aug. 7-8 at the Robert Moore auditorium. The booklet for the show also will be available at the March meeting.
Of special interest to both booklets is that the covers have been designed by artist-in-residence Nadia Felix. So besides being informative, the covers also are a keepsake.
Seed potatoes will be given out at the April meeting. A contest ensues for the biggest (heaviest) potato raised and the winner gets his/her name inscribed on the “Potato Trophy” and gets to keep the trophy over the winter.
Bruce Biddeson was last year’s winner, with Nadia Felix and Irene Hill-Haver following close in weight.
In mid-May, the spring plant sale will be held, as well as a visit to a local nursery. The fall plant sale will be held in September at Nellie Shybyski’s place.
The program committee, under the chair of Helen Crook, along with Heather Johnson, Dana-Lynn Begin, and Joanne Bliss already on side, is planning some interesting programs. New this year is a mini-preview of the Flower and Vegetable Show, which will be held at the July meeting.
Members may bring an entry chosen out of the book and have it critiqued according to the judging criteria at the show.
As usual, a tour of flower and vegetable gardens in the area is planned. Last year, the gardens along Riverview Drive were visited–two of which featured water gardens.
An invitation is extended to anyone interested in gardens and yards to join the society’s membership. A “green thumb” is not necessary in order to enjoy the fellowship of others interested in the subject of gardening.
Now, for some gardening lore that you might learn at a club meeting. What is xeriscape?
A xeriscape is a landscape which uses plants that have low-water requirements, making them able to withstand extended periods of drought. Xeric landscapes are a conscious attempt to develop plants which are compatible with the environment.
One way to tell if a plant is a good choice for your xeriscape is the colour of its foliage.
Plants with a silvery foliage are almost always drought-tolerant, such as artemisias, catmint, and Russian sage.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
