DUNNVILLE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
November 2016
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Happy November! I can’t believe how fast autumn is going by. It’s dark in the morning when I drive to work but seeing the beautiful trees that have changed colour makes it okay.
What a stellar year our organization has had! Our society continues to grow each year by leaps and bounds. Our membership count as of October is 273 which includes 3 life members. How awesome is that? We had 105 people in attendance at the Optimist Hall last month-we’re practically bursting at the seams! Membership is vital for the success of our society and as of today we are stronger and better than ever.
Dunnville’s public flowerbeds were beautiful again this year thanks to everyone’s hard work planting and maintaining them. It never ceases to amaze me how everyone comes together to help us carry out our duties. I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who volunteered to assist with our various projects this past year. Volunteers have always been the backbone of this society and without you there would be no Dunnville Horticultural Society. Since its inception in 1929 the official mandate of the DHS has been to plant trees and take care of the public gardens throughout the town of Dunnville as well as educating our members and the general public on the topic of horticulture. Unofficially it has been our mandate to have fun. It looks like we’re right on track!
Looking back over the year, we held a number of events that were huge successes. Our garden walk in July was a hit, along with our Flower & Veggie shows and our bus trip to Niagara. Our booth at the Lions’ Home & Garden show in April helped to give us lots of exposure in our community and our plant sale in May was our biggest fundraiser as usual. Looking forward to next year–our partnerships within the community are flourishing with many projects in the work for 2017, with our refurbishing of the Centennial Fountain being one of many that will bring pride to our town and to our society. Canada’s 150th birthday should bring colourful celebrations next summer and it should prove to be an exciting season for every community in Haldimand.
Many businesses and private individuals have come to our assistance throughout the year with their generous donations of money, food, gift items and their time. A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone for your support and assistance in making the Dunnville Horticultural Society successful. Please remember: shop local! Dunnville’s businesses need your support as much as we need theirs. A complete list of our sponsors can be found on the website.
Our upcoming program on November 17th is going to be a busy one. This is our AGM, installation of officers for 2017, Junior Gardener Awards, Christmas Celebration, Pot Luck Dinner, Penny Sale, Photo Contest, and Food Drive. Be sure to arrive at 6:00 p.m. and bring your favourite dish or dessert for the pot luck. We will be accepting non-perishable food items for the food bank. The Four Season photo contest consists of 4 categories: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Each photo should be 4 x 6 inches. Gardening is to be the focal point and they should be taken in Haldimand County. 1 entry is allowed in each category. Our guest speaker will be Gary Cartlidge from Armstrong Milling. His topic will be “The Right Food for the Right Bird at the Right Time”.
There will be no general program in December. Our next get together at the Optimist Hall after this month’s program will be Thursday, January 19th at 7:00 p.m.
This will be my last newsletter of the year, so on behalf of the executive and directors of the Dunnville Horticultural Society I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Have a safe and happy holiday and we will see all of you again in January.
Sue Mazi, DHS Corresponding Secretary.