YORKTON - Thank you to everyone who attended the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society meeting last week, our first meeting of 2024! Welcome to our incoming president, Ed Sek and vice-president, John Tropin. Thank you both for bringing your skills and extensive knowledge to the gardening table! Thank you also to our guest speakers from last week: Allona, John and Frank. It’s always so interesting to hear gardening experiences from other gardening enthusiasts! A great job, thank you!
At this time I would also like to express our gratitude to our outgoing president, Liz Jones. Liz was our president for over twelve years, and that involved a huge commitment of time and dedication to the society. She attended meetings, organized events, printed agendas, and took care of a multitude of tasks that kept everything moving along smoothly. She kept the gardening light going, accepted the challenge of changes when needed, and kept the society moving forward. Thank you, Liz, for your dedication and hard work! You did a wonderful job!
So we look forward again to “growing” forward in a new gardening year!
The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society belongs to the SHA, the Saskatchewan Horticultural Association. This is the umbrella group for seventeen horticultural societies across the province. The SHA was formed in 1925, although some societies were in existence before then. It is interesting to read the history of the SHA, check it out at skhorticultural.com
At its peak, there were over forty societies that belonged to the SHA. As with many clubs that cater to all kinds of hobbies and interests, there is a natural ebb and flow, and sadly for almost all clubs of all kinds, the covid years took their toll on activities and membership. The SHA was no different.
But…There are still active societies that encourage and promote gardening. Visit the SHA website to check them out, as well as the 2024 horticultural bus tour, a much-loved summer travel adventure that this year will be exploring the north-east part of the province. The website says “This fun and exciting bus tour will take you on a journey through some of the most beautiful gardens and landscapes in Northeastern Saskatchewan. You will have the opportunity to explore private gardens, Star City Hutterite Colony, a Haskap berry farm and a Honey bee farm, all while learning from expert horticulturists and gardeners. We will explore the garden communities of Star City, Tisdale, Ridgedale, Carrot River, Nipawin and White Fox.” Non-members are also welcome on this tour.
Back to gardening. It seems to me that the ‘covid time’ did give people more time at home, and among gardeners that we know, the interest in gardening never dwindled. It seems that some people actually expanded their garden time since there was ‘nothing else to do’, and in doing so, have revived or renewed their gardening interest.
And we all know that there is a very strong and enthusiastic interest in organic gardening and reconnecting with the soil. Many people now want their kids to know where food comes from and how it is grown. That’s a valuable “seed” to plant. A child who grows up with an interest and exposure to gardening will never be bored (or boring!).
A new gardening season is just ahead of us! Let’s get going! Thank you to our friends at YTW for their great work each week. Gardeners, peruse those seed catalogues and have a nice week! Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca
