Roundtable chat with master gardeners
It’s a lovely summer evening, the cicadas and birds are singing in the tree canopy.
I’m on the deck in Alan and Barb Large’s gorgeous St. Catharines garden to hear all about the fall plant sale being hosted by Master Gardeners of Niagara. Pull up a chair and join us. Let me introduce you to our group.
On my left is June Stradwick (JS), a master gardener for the past 17 years.
“I’ve always loved horticulture and I love being able to help, it’s a lot of fun.”
Karen Walsh (KW), a master gardener for 10 years and the current co-ordinator of Master Gardeners of Niagara,
“I’ve been gardening since I was born. I was raised on a fruit farm in Niagara-on-the-Lake, farmed in Saskatchewan (zone 2B) for 20 years, I grew the best lilies and potatoes that I’ve ever had. With husband No. 2, I moved back to Ontario, a comfortable zone for gardening.”
Barbara Large (BL) joined in 2001.
“I’ve always enjoyed gardening. When I retired, June collared me one day to become a master gardener. Like June, I did independent study, we were sent the books and mailed in our assignments.”
TF: What’s involved in becoming a master gardener?
KW: Initially, a master gardener needs quite a bit of time, because you are taking your educational requirements. You study part time, with online classes through the University of Guelph, or Dalhousie. It took me almost two years. The program covers cultural practices, soils, introduction to plant ID and landscaping.
TF: You were already an experienced farmer. How did you end up in taking horticulture courses?
KW: When I moved back to Ontario, I spoke to master gardeners at Canada Blooms to see if it was something I would like to do. I lived in Burlington at the time, so I joined the Halton group. When I just had a regular job and garden to take care of, I had tons of time, when I wasn’t being a farm wife.
JS: I enjoyed the program so much that I stayed on and got my Ontario certificate in horticulture through the University of Guelph, 12 courses. Assignments were by correspondence at that time. It took me six years. I just kept on going.
KW: As an adult learner, you have a much different perspective. For so many of us, it was such a pleasure to go back to school — we really wanted to be there.
TF: Once you’ve completed your training, what do you do?
KW: Our mission is to provide gardening information to the public. Niagara Master Gardeners has several projects: We hold information clinics at the public library, there’s an information booth and the general public can come up and ask gardening questions. In the spring we partner with several local nurseries, we will set up a clinic to answer people’s gardening questions. We have also partnered with Start Me Up Niagara to offer gardening advice to volunteers at the Community Gardening Project. We also volunteer at the Shaw Festival Garden Tour.
BL: We also partner with Hospice Niagara. We made them two gardens — a perennial border and a raised vegetable bed. We’ve taught them how to plant and care for their plants, and there’s a day program four times a year.
KW: Members need to volunteer 20 hours per year. Our September plant sale is our only fundraiser. We accept honorariums for speaking, but we donate everything back to the community.
TF: So your members have been busy potting things up for the plant sale?
(Lots of giggling)
BL: All members must pot up at least 10 plants for the sale.
TF: With your 40 members, you will have at least 400 plants, and that’s just the beginning.
BL: Valleybrook Perennials is very generous every year, and we have donations from members who are affiliated with nurseries. We will also be selling spring bulbs like tulips and daffodils, just in time for fall planting and one of our members very kindly donates fall mums for the sale.
(Vineland Research and Innovation Centre provides master gardeners space for meetings, the plant sale and free parking. It is very generous.)
TF: Why a plant sale in September?
KW: I keep telling people that now is the time to plant.
JS: It’s the best time to plant. TF: Could you give me three good reasons to plant in the fall?
BL: The soil is warm. We have an eight-week window before the snow flies, perennials will have time to establish themselves before it gets cold. By spring, the plants are established and ready to flower.
KW: Roots will develop quickly because the soil is warm, and that is really important for establishing perennials.
JS: We usually get more moisture in the fall.
TF: If you wanted to expand your garden, would this sale be a good place to start?
KW: Yes, we will have some unusual plants, our prices are very reasonable and you can get some helpful advice from the master gardeners.
BL: Everything will be labelled. I’ve dug up so many daylilies for the sale. We’ve taken pictures of the flowers and put them with each pot so that people will know what they are getting.
TF: Do you have people who come back for the sale year after year?
KW: We have many long-standing attendees — people come from across the peninsula.
TF: Would you say people are parked outside the gate when you open?
KW: (Laughing) Oh, yes — they are there. We have many people in the community who look forward to this sale.
KW: There is also an added benefit, courtesy of this lovely man right
here (gesturing to Barb’s husband). Alan provides tool sharpening for a donation to the cause. You can bring along your secateurs, hoes, shovels, whatever you have that needs sharpening … scissors, knives, lawn mower blades, anything. (Alan, a retired tool and die maker, donates his time for this. He has his regulars that show up every year.)
— Theresa Forte is a local garden writer, photographer and speaker. You can reach her by calling 905-351-7540 or by email at theresa_forte@sympatico.ca.