It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News – February 2019
by Angela Lassam

This is a good time to think about how you would like your garden to look. Maybe you would like to add new beds, plan a vegetable patch or start a fruit area. You do not have to be a gardener to have a need for a relaxing space around your home. It is very easy today, with all the resources available, you just have to look for them. There are endless possibilities for new homeowners to become gardeners and teachers for the next generation.

Now is the time to visit the upcoming garden shows for the newest ideas and suppliers along with some interesting seminars. Stratford has one February 28 – March 3 and Canada Blooms in Toronto is March 8 – 17. Both are excellent for ideas and a welcome day trip this time of year. Look online for details.

If this is not possible garden catalogues are great for information on plants and garden essentials. Some of them have diagrams on various plants and their possible location in the garden. Most catalogues have collections of plants suitable for very different purposes.  It could be drought tolerant which we need for the climate change and less need for watering. A carefree perennial collection for easy maintenance is a good selection. Consider a butterfly and beneficial insect collection to encourage natural pollinators to your garden. This last collection will create interest for everyone especially children where they can watch an egg change to a caterpillar. Then it will turn into a chrysalis and a butterfly will eventually emerge. They are easy to locate on Milkweed.  

There are many reasons we would like to change our gardens. A garden should be easy to manage so we should think of the shape of beds to make grass cutting easy even changing the shape of an existing bed. When making a larger bed a shrub as a focal point utilises a large portion. Perennials can be added for easy maintenance where as annuals are a continual cost and time consuming every year. Plan to buy some fruit trees, soft fruit bushes and plants. Their blossom comes after the spring bulbs and fill in the space before the summer blooms. Strawberries are a good choice as they will quickly multiply. Then there is the pleasure of picking your own knowing that no chemicals have been added.

Hardscaping has become more popular as it reduces the grass cutting time and care. Steppables planted in the paving cracks saves weeding and are more pleasant to see. A porch can be enlarged to provide more shade and a larger space to socialise as we get older and have more free time. A pergola designed in your garden with paving stones under it is a great idea for barbecuing and family occasions and vines grown on it can provide a shaded place to enjoy your garden.

For new homeowners or those who would like to try the hobby of gardening all of these suggestions apply. You can start with a few trees, shrubs and raised beds for vegetables and soft fruit. Raised beds should be filled with a triple mix soil to get the best results. Alternately many seeds or nursery plants can be container grown. An amusing article suggested using dishpans which can be purchased easily at a dollar store for separate vegetables. I thought this would be great for children starting to garden.

The next monthly meeting of the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society will be on March 5th @7.30 p.m. in the Senior Centre, Tillsonburg Community Centre. The speaker will be Robert Crowhurst. Topic “Bees what’s all the buzz”- a beekeeper’s perspective so come and learn all about the bees. Everyone welcome $2 per meeting or join for extra benefits. For further information on the society look on Facebook, tillsonburghorticultural or www.tillsonburghorticultural.ca.