Pineridge Garden Club

HELEN NICOLAOU, Special to The Standard

Autumn months have arrived, bringing the familiar smell of fallen leaves and a sense of calm. With the season change comes a feeling of excitement in the air, as we look forward to visiting with family this coming Thanksgiving weekend.

I feel grateful for some of the freedoms, which a year ago were not possible.

Last meeting, speaker Jeff Mason gave a terrific presentation on how to bring colour to our Spring Garden. Jeff gave great tips on filling in those drab, empty early areas by planting an assortment of bulbs. The bulbs will produce blooms which continue for weeks on those sunny, cool days. While the bulbs are finishing their show, the perennials begin to fill in with greenery and delicate mid-season blooms, carrying on through the summer.

I have not had much success with tulips in the past, mostly because of the persistence of squirrels. It was not till years later, when I visited my neighbour, and he had questioned where the pink tulips in his garden came from? We both had a laugh, more him than me. So it seems, the squirrels had a master plan and thought I should share my bulbs with my neighbour. Leaving me wondering why my bulbs would not grow.

Check out the great selection of spring bulbs now available at local garden centres.

With the shorter days and cooler temperatures, we can observe the annual migration of many birds. Especially the miraculous 2500km flight, on delicate wings, made by the stately Monarch Butterfly. Since 2008 the Monarch population has dropped by 90 percent. So even if you’re not a gardener, please enjoy the asters, back-eyed-Susans and goldenrod along the roadsides and nearby meadows, the Monarchs love them.

The World Wildlife Federation and Nature Conservancy of Canada have provided several routes, known as The Pollinator Highway. Departments of Transportation have worked diligently along these designated routes to incorporate wildflowers and native seed mixes along the road allowances providing Quality Habitat, protected from Herbicide Sprays, for Monarchs.

Our guest speaker, for Tuesday, October 5th, at 7:30 p.m., will be Michael Erdman. He will be demonstrating for us a Lovely Harvest Centrepiece. Our club members will be provided with a materials list and can join to create their own centrepiece. We look forward to following along with Michael and maybe even adding our own personal touches to the final project.

For more information on joining our membership, visit our website: pineridgegardenclub.com, ‘Where Gardeners come to Bloom.’

https://pineridgegardenclub.com/