March 2013 hard to believe that spring is going to be here soon! January and February have flown by (thank goodness) and the days are getting longer. It’s now light in the morning when I leave for work and when I come home at night. It helps to make the drive a little easier.
The new DHS Constitution was read to the members at the February general meeting. Lori Maracle fielded a few questions and then the membership voted unanimously to accept it. The last time it was changed was 1998, so it’s nice knowing that the constitution is up-to-date. There was an excellent turnout at this meeting considering how cold it was outside. The Ways & Means draw raised $52.00 (way to go Betty!) and Steve Elgersma was the winner of the 2013 Early Bird Membership draw. He won a $25 gift certificate for Harmony House Jewellers. Congratulations Steve.
Our guest speakers were Chris Paribello and Shawn Nixon from Davey Tree Co. of Canada. They were very engaging, talking about tree anatomy and pruning. Pruning is scary at best, but they were able to shed a lot of light on how to tackle various trees and shrubs. Our guest speaker for March will be Darren Heimbecker from Whistling Gardens which is located in Wilsonville, Ontario. Whistling Gardens is Canada’s newest horticultural playground, with over 18 landscaped acres displaying thousands of spring bulbs and perennials. Check out their website at www.whistlinggardens.ca.
Vice-President Debbie Thomas has worked her magic again and booked a bus trip to Canada Blooms in Toronto. The National Home & Garden show is on at the same time so you get two shows for the price of one. We will be attending on Saturday March 23rd, leaving Dunnville at 8:30 a.m. and return approximately 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for members and $50 for non-members. Tickets will be sold on a first come-first served basis. Please contact Debbie Thomas at 905-774-3064 if you wish to purchase tickets and don’t wait too long…..I’m sure they’ll sell fast. Last year was a lot of fun and I’m sure we’ll have a great time again.
The Dunnville Home & Garden show is coming up in April. It will be held at the arena on April 19th and 20th. A sign up sheet was passed around for volunteers to help out at our booth. Volunteers are always needed. If you would still like to help out but didn’t get a chance to sign up let Debbie Thomas or Kim Christoff know. This show is a huge fundraiser for us, and gives us a chance to meet new people and attract new members.
One sure sign of spring approaching is the arrival of seed catalogues. Dominion Seeds and Vesey’s have already arrived. You can check them out online at www.dominion-seed-house.com, www.veseys.com, and www.stokeseeds.com. It’s a great time to start planning your garden so be sure to purchase your seeds early.
Garden Tip of the Month: The first or second week of March is a good time to start seeds of celery, broccoli, and cabbage indoors. The third week of March: start seeds of peppers, and tomatoes. Be sure to read the seed package before starting. It’s also a good time to make sure your garden equipment is in good repair and ready to go. We’ve been hearing robins outside and it won’t be long before they make an appearance. When you finally see one you’ll know that spring has definitely arrived. See you at the meeting!
Sue Mazi, DHS Corresponding Secretary.
Essential advice for the gardener: grow peas of mind, lettuce be thankful, squash selfishness, turnip to help thy neighbor, and always make thyme for loved ones. ~Author Unknown