Bees were actively working in and around the sedums in the median at Broad and Main Streets in Dunnville as Steve Elgersma shared his commitment to help others. Steve is a worker bee’ for Dunnville Horticultural Society and has been tending to several flower beds for what he thinks is close to 15 years. This summer, Steve joked that he is out weeding whenever it hasn’t been raining which is often up to 10 hours per week.

It all started when Steve and his wife Jenny were out walking and they noticed weeds in the bed and felt that removing them would be a way to help. Steve had been caring for that flower bed for probably two years when a D.H.S. member noticed him working and invited him to join the
society. In addition to his work for D.H.S. Steve is one of the volunteers who maintain gardens at Dunnville Hospital and Edgewater Gardens. Steve is a volunteer with the Niagara Christian Gleaners two mornings a week. Steve and the other volunteers wash, cut and prepare donated produce for
dehydration. The group receives over 7000 pounds of produce daily that would otherwise be discarded. Through their efforts the dehydrated produce can be shipped to those in need around the world. Steve helps lead worship services at Dunnville Hospital and Grandview Lodge and is a member of
Gideons International.

Steve was born in Holland and moved in 1947 to Canada along with his parents and six siblings. Three more siblings were born in Canada. Steve learned about dedication and hard work growing up on a dairy farm and later working at Rosaflora for 19 years. Steve and Jenny raised two sons and
two daughters. To Steve the reward for doing his volunteer work for D.H.S. is seeing the simple beauty of the flowers.

Dunnville Horticultural Society would like to recognize the efforts of Steve Elgersma and all of the other volunteers who maintain numerous flower beds around the town. Members have been helping to keep Dunnville looking beautiful since 1929. Dunnville Horticultural Society meets monthly between September to June on the third Thursday of the month. Plan to join the members on Thursday September 21st at Dunnville Optimist Hall where we will be learning more about the bird banding program at Ruthven Park in Cayuga. Doors open at 6:30pm. Programs are free and open to everyone.

If you enjoy being outdoors and have one hour a week during the spring and summer months, then D.H.S. has a spot for you to beautify! Contact D.H.S. Weeding Coordinator Nelly Engelage through the website www.dunnvillehortandgardenclub.org or call Past President Deb Zynomirski at 416-566-9337.

DHS had a delightful February, with a very informative presentation at our last Program night with Adam Chamberlin. He spoke about Dunnvilles tree program and our Carolinian Trees. Did You Know !! Haldimand has one of the biggest Paw Paw stands around. We are definitely lucky to have some amazing trees in our area. 

Up Next, the Lions Home and Garden show is fast approaching. Come on out to the Dunnville Arena on April 15 and 16th to see our Flower Power booth. Meet our board members, pick their brains, see all we have to offer and why not pick up a membership (10.00/adults and 5.00/jrs). We are an all inclusive, accessible, all ages group with a steadily increasing membership.

Later this month the DHS has submitted an article in the OHA Trillium. We have shared some exciting news to come . Also don’t forget to check out the Emerys monthly columns an all things plants here in the Haldimand Press. 

April is another busy month for the Hort Society. Not only are we preparing for out annual plant days, we are also apart of a huge collaboration Seedy Saturday with Haldimand Hort. This event will be held at the Cayuga Arena on Saturday April 29th from 10-5pm. Amdimissin is $5.00 for ages 13 and up. This family friendly event is a must attend with raffles, food, prizes, and much more, with over 30 green vendors. Spend the day learning about all things seeds, plants and green, with 3 fascinating speakers that are not to be missed. 

Also coming up this month is our monthly program night. It will be held March 16th from 7-9 at the Optimist Hall at 101 Main st W. Building is fully accessible and Light refreshments are provided. To do our part for the environment we are also asking everyone to participate in “lug a mug” and bring their own mug for coffee and tea. The ways and means table and memberships are always available. 

This month’s speaker is Kyle McLaughlin and he will be discussing the fascinating world of Mushrooms and Fungi. Also this month is St.Pattys day and DHS will be celebrating with prizes!! So come in your best greens, the member with the most green will be the winner. Looking forward to seeing all the St. Pattys Green Attire, 

Questions and comments can be directed to Jen Miller jlglaziermiller@gmail.com

As much as I like working the soil and watching our garden grow, I’m not entirely fond of the insects I run into. However, it’s important to know which insects I should toss to Rosie, our chicken and garden ‘helper’, and which ones should be allowed to run free. A few weeks ago, I was standing among our tomatoes and spotted a nasty looking bug. My first instinct was to squash it, but then I thought I should see what bug it was. So I pull out my phone, went to the Seek app, and snapped a photo … Efferia aestuans, also known as a robber fly.

Now this is not a pretty bug and I’m glad I looked it up because I would have thought it to be a bad garden bug, but it turns out to be a beneficial bug. Robber flies should be a welcome sight in your garden, but their bee-like appearance and aggressive nature can leave gardeners wondering, “Are robber flies dangerous?”

Robber flies are distant relatives of the common housefly and their appearance can be somewhat frightening as they are a big, hairy, humped flying insect. Robber fly insects are a mixed blessing to gardeners; if they’re seriously perturbed, they can inflict a painful bite and they do prey on beneficial insects too. But most gardeners tolerate this visitor, even if they do munch a few butterflies or bees, as the extensive pest control they will provide in your garden and landscape far outweighs the damage they do to a few other individual beneficial insects. They help rid the garden of harmful pests like grasshoppers, other flies, wasps, leafhoppers, white grubs, and pupating beetles.

So, when you spot one in your garden just be kind and don’t upset it.

Read more about robber flies at Gardening Know How online at gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/robber-fly-information.htm.

Kids love to get dirty, so why not introduce them to gardening, no matter what age? Just enjoying some quality time together will benefit both kids and adults. There are many benefits to learning from the garden, and the big one is getting outside and away from screen time. If you are not an outside person, there are numerous indoor plants that you can explore, too.

Engaging all of your child’s senses like feeling, smelling, tasting and observing, is a great way to explore the garden. Gardening can also teach responsibility; giving your child the task of watering will show them that if they neglect their job, the plants will wither and die.

Gardening helps children develop their motor skills by using gardening tools, bending and balancing to avoid walking on plants.

Gardening also teaches patience, whereby children must wait for the seeds to start growing. Lots of herbs or sunflowers are easy to grow and show children that good things are worth the wait.

Gardening teaches children where their food comes from and it encourages them to eat healthy foods. Start kids off with easy-to-grow plants like herbs, or flowers like sunflowers and marigolds. Vegetables such as carrots, beans and pumpkins are also great options. Kids love to explore, feeling unique textures like fuzzy, rubbery, prickly and smooth as they feel the plants, making it a fun time. Grow some plants that you would use when making a pizza, like onions, peppers or cherry tomatoes.

To the Editors,

Municipal budgets can expect to take a hit in 2022 from an unexpected direction. The cost to control the rapidly expanding and fast growing tall invasive species called Phragmites can be expected to add red ink to many municipal budgets.

As Phragmites (Phrag) spreads rapidly along rural roadsides, it has become a significant safety hazard at intersections by obstructing driver sightlines. The dense roots impact municipal infrastructure by clogging drains, ditches, and culverts, causing road flooding and related damage.

Already there are over 1,000 kilometres of roadside with Phrag in Ontario. The current cost to treat and eradicate a single kilometre of roadside infested with “Phrag” is estimated at $6,000. When municipalities work closely with local partners and budget proactively for Phrag control they can limit the spread, protect biodiversity, and manage their liability.  

Phrag also impacts recreational opportunities such as swimming, boating, fishing, birdwatching, and hunting, which is costing local economies an estimated $42.7M annually. Waterfront landowners take a double hit; in addition to recreation impacts, a recent study indicates these property values have been reduced by $357M due to Phrag encroachment.

In partnership with the local municipality and other organizations, the Dunnville Horticultural Society has been actively reducing Phragmites. To be Phrag-free and eliminate this economic and environmental burden, it’s time for a substantial investment by government in Phrag control that supports municipalities and their partners’ efforts.  

Respectfully,

Deb Zynomirski, 

President, Dunnville Horticultural Society

Ontario Phragmites Working Group

Ontario Invasive Plant Council

My columns are usually about outdoor plants, but many of us enjoy having houseplants — especially during the cold winter months, and they can be beneficial to your health.

Sansevieria plant is also known as snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue plant.

The sansevieria plant releases oxygen especially well and can improve indoor air quality by removing 87 per cent of airborne toxins in a small or medium area at night. It also reduces the level of nitrate ions. Sansevieria can help people with breathing problems from airborne allergies.

Overwatering is the main reason sansevieria plants die. They prefer to be root-bound in small pots and allowed to dry out between watering.

Fertilize only when they are actively growing. They will grow in any light settings, but will grow faster in more light and may even flower every few years.

They seem to have few pest issues.

One drawback of sansevieria plants is they are poisonous to pets, children and even adults, so be aware of this when selecting plants for your home and deciding where you will place them.

The Dunnville Horticultural Society normally meets the third Thursday of the month at the Optimist Hall. However, due to the current provincial COVID-19 restrictions, please note that our January program has been cancelled.

For more information, check out our website at dunnvillehortandgardenclub.org or our Facebook page under Dunnville Horticultural Society. Club president, Deb Zynomirski can be reached by email at debzyn@gmail.com or by phone at 416-566-9337.

Keep thinking green thoughts!

Marlene Link is a member of the Dunnville Horticultural Society.