Grimsby Garden Club: News

Grimsby Garden Club June 2021

Join us on June 28th at 6:30pm/7pm
Storm Chasing in Ontario, by David T. Chapman

Experience the entire life cycle of thunderstorms with this exciting and educational presentation. See how they form and develop into powerful lightning and wind storms. Watch an Ontario supercell tornado from start to finish as it cuts a path through the countryside near Arthur, as well as two other tornadoes that hit our province.

How to join the Jun 28 meeting: Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89191125425
Connect at 6:30pm for casual conversation. Presentation begins at 7pm. You can click the link or use the link in the emailed invitation from Joe Fisher.

Have you bought your June raffle tickets yet? There is still time.
Enter for a chance to win a basket of wine!

Tickets can be purchased until end of day Jun 27th. Draw will take place at the end of the Jun 28 meeting. Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10. Send payment via e-transfer to GGCRaffle1964@gmail.com, You will then receive your electronic tickets by email. In the message field of your bank’s Interac request, include your telephone number or email address so that we can contact you when you win. Entrants must be 18 years or older.

If you prefer to pay via cheque or cash, please contact Mary McLaren at 905 309-9624 or via email at mary.mclaren123@gmail.com

OLG Raffle License #785884. Supporting community improvements and scholarships

Town Beautification News

Our Civic Improvement Committee has been busy organizing the placement of our summer baskets on Main Street and the installation of the summer planters. Many thanks to the Grimsby Downtown Improvement Association and Ed Sobkowich Greenhouses for their contributions.

In October 2018, the garden club organized the move of a beautiful evergreen tree, donated by Michelle Seaborn of Silmaril Farm, to a position of prominence at Town Hall. We called the tree the “Hope Tree”. Unfortunately, Hope has not transitioned as well as we had planned and although most of the tree is healthy and happy, there are some sections that have become somewhat barren. So…. what to do? A decision was made to plant a garden around Hope that would beautify the area and take some attention away from Hope’s less appealing features.

Working in co-ordination with city staff, a plan was drawn up, ground was broken, plants were purchased and a garden is growing! We considered a variety of native species with the intention of attracting butterflies and bees. Unfortunately some of our first selections weren’t available this year and we may make adjustments going forward - but that’s what gardening is all about! The first week after planting was a challenge for our new plants as it was during the recent hot spell. However, things seem to have survived and we look forward to watching our garden grow! It will be expanded in the years ahead; as with all gardens - the Hope Garden is a work in progress.

Garden of the Month

Grimsby residents have a great love of gardening, and it certainly shows. Nine years ago, Grimsby Garden Club members, Wendy Frank and Beth Sommers thought it would be a nice idea to celebrate our gardens and gardeners by choosing a garden each month during spring and summer to highlight on Facebook and on our website. Each month they would search a different section of Grimsby to find gardens that had great curb appeal. Decisions were made not just based on colour, design, and maintenance, but on how these gardens showed the owners’ real love of gardening and their interest and efforts to beautify Grimsby.

On behalf of the entire Grimsby Garden Club, we want to thank Wendy & Beth for their years of dedication to our Garden of the Month Program.

The OHA Virtual Convention and AGM Registration is now OPEN!!! With your registration, you can see and do everything, and you have a year to come back and view again or see a video you haven’t seen. Early bird deadline is June 21st.

Please visit the registration site at: https://conference.has.uwo.ca/Register/default.aspx?code=C000963. Visit Ontario OHA Convention » GardenOntario for full details.

Be on the look-out for great Grimsby front gardens and nominate the ones you love for a Trillium award. This year small gardens will be specially recognized: properties with small front yards in the 30 square meter range (about 300 square feet). eMail a photo of the completed nomination form to GrimsbyTrillium@gmail.com or mail the form to PO Box 321, Grimsby ON L3M 4G5.

You can access the Trillium nomination form here: https://gardenontario.org/index.php?gf-download=2021%2F06%2F2021-Trillium-Nomination-0611.pdf&form-id=2&field-id=81&hash=72c6a5fc18bb2bb21b020d622f3202b88772c9c3f0c4e0964b68871d3ebe7f4a

Looking ahead:

Jul 13 - 19 Trillium judging
Jul 16 - 18 OHA Virtual Convention
Jul 26 - Monthly meeting. Speaker is Adam Earthgen – Native Trees
Aug 30 - Monthly meeting. Speaker is Robert Pavlis – Designing Your Fall Garden
Sep 27 - Monthly meeting. Dianne & Gary Westlake – Garden Art for Cheapskates

2021 Membership Dues: If you haven't already, please e-transfer $15 (single) or $20 (family) to grimsbygardenclub1964@gmail.com. Include your telephone number or email address in the remarks. Want to pay by cheque or cash? Call Mary McLaren at 905.309.9624 to make arrangements.

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The Grimsby Garden Club is dedicated to the beautification of our community’s public and private spaces.

Regular meetings are usually the last Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. During the covid-19 pandemic, meetings are online via zoom. As always, members, friends and guests welcome.

APRIL 5, 2021

Grimsby Garden Club hosts Earth Day tree & shrub sale to support Grimsby’s natural heritage

Spring is the perfect time to add trees and shrubs to your garden and this year, why not pick a tree that benefits everyone who spends time in your yard? Native plants support a range of native species from butterflies to birds and add interest for people, too. Gardeners don’t have to do a big conversion to a native landscape. Every added native plant helps, and trees help the most!

That’s why the Grimsby Garden Club and Ontariogreen, in partnership with the Town of Grimsby, is holding their First Annual Earth Day Carolinian Native Tree & Shrub Sale.

The trees and shrubs for sale are native to our special Carolinian eco-zone. They are critical to our birds and their fledglings in the Spring and to our pollinators throughout the season. Bringing native trees to each home is a simple and critical step to keeping Grimsby’s natural heritage intact. Consider the vibrantly-coloured, spring-blooming Redbud, or the exotic-flavoured fruit of the Pawpaw.

There will be more than a dozen species to choose from. A list of the trees and shrubs available, along with information about their features, size, soil requirements etc. is available here: http://www.ontariogreen.ca/tree-sale.html

Payment for your tree and shrub order can be made securely online through PayPal, Debit or Credit Card.

The trees and shrubs sizes available are: 1 gal pot size for $20; 3 gal pot size for $30 and rare deciduous varieties for $40 in a 3 gal pot size.

All the trees and shrubs orders can be picked up at the Town of Grimsby’s Town Hall parking lot (back parking lot) at 160 Livingston Ave, Grimsby, on Thursday, April 22^nd between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Alternate arrangements can be made by calling Liza Fuller at 289-680-6087.

The Grimsby Garden Club and Ontariogreen would like to thank the Town of Grimsby; Earthgen Tree Nursery (https://www.earthgen.ca) and Field 2 Home (https://field2home.com) for their support of the Carolinian Native Tree/Shrub sale.

For more information, please contact Marilyn Cornwell at grimsbyplantsale@gmail.com

or Liza Fuller at lizafuller@hotmail.ca

News March 29th 2020

Join us on March 29th at 6:30pm/7pm
Plants in Jeopardy!
hosted by Kevin Kavanagh

"I'll take Amazing Azaleas for $1000"

Answer: The botanical name of the genus for this spectacular flowering group of woody plants originates from the Greek words for 'Rose' and 'Tree'.

Question: What is a Rhododendron?

In this light hearted take on the popular game show, the audience will be given an answer and then have a few seconds to figure out the question. As host, Kevin will then provide follow-up information pertaining to the horticultural question at hand. An eclectic range of topics will be covered, including propagation and division of perennials, winter protection tips for broad-leaved evergreens, native plants beneficial to birds and pollinators, spring and autumn clean-up priorities and other tips to help maintain plant health in the garden. Time to get your [botanical] game on!

About Kevin Kavanagh:
Kevin is the owner of South Coast Gardens and Consulting, a small specialty nursery and landscape design business in the heart of Ontario's Carolinian zone. An avid gardener for much of his life, Kevin spent most of his early career in the field of nature conservation working for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy of Canada and World Wildlife Fund Canada. Kevin holds a B.Sc. from McGill University, a M.Sc. from York University and completed several years of post-graduate research in Botany at the University of Toronto. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Niagara Chapter of the Rhododendron Society of Canada and is a member of the Brantford Master Gardeners.

Spring is here ....watch your email/facebook/instagram for pop-up plant sales....leading up to our 51st Annual Grimsby Garden Club Plant Sale on May 21st and 22nd.

Here's a sneak peak at the first offer coming soon: succulents in cute egg pots from Hendriks. Aren't they cute?

Looking ahead:

April 22 - Earth Day Tree Sale.
April 26 - Monthly meeting. Speaker is Darren Heimbecker on 'Whistling Gardens'
May 21-22 - The Annual Plant Sale
Jun 2 - Landscape Design and other Trillium Criteria - a new presentation for members and the public
Please note: due to continuing covid-19 concerns, the Garden Tour will be postponed to 2022.

Volunteer Opportunities: We have lots! Weeding, deliveries (letters, plants), stuffing envelopes, and more. Contact grimsbygardens@gmail.com for more information