KAMSACK — Kamsack’s Trackside Garden got its first going-over of the season May 13 when a group of volunteers who have committed themselves to weekly sessions at the garden were busy digging, clipping and raking.
The garden, located near the intersection of Main Street with Nykolaishen Drive, was established by members of the Kamsack Horticulture Society more than 20 years ago. Since then, it has been tended by volunteers who have been meeting Tuesday mornings, weather permitting, throughout the growing season to plant, weed and water the garden.
Sponsors have donated their distinctive pink T-shirts and others have donated annual plants and soil.
This year, the group met the day after the season’s first significant rainfall that came following a bout of high winds that had darkened the world with dust taken from the still-fallow fields. The morning was ideal for garden work: warm and sunny.
“We have a group of about 15 volunteers,” said Audrey Horkoff, who has been involved with the garden for a number of years, adding that Sas-Kam Sportsman has donated T-shirts for the workers.
“We’re always ready to welcome more workers,” Horkoff said. “The more volunteers we have, the more detailed work we will be able to accomplish.”
While a core group assemble Tuesday mornings, others, who may be employed, come to the garden as their schedules permit, she said. “Today is our first go-round, so we’re cleaning up, preparing the beds and spreading the new topsoil that was donated and delivered to the garden by Rod Gardner.”
Next month, the volunteers will be planting the annual plants that will be acquired from Chautauqua Gardens, she said, explaining that the garden contains five theme-coloured beds that contain plants with blooms of red, pink, white, purple and yellow.
To raise money to pay for the plants and other incidentals, the group had been holding a strawberry social each July, but that initiative stopped during COVID and has not yet begun again, Horkoff said. The group will be discussing the possibility to holding a strawberry social this year, but that decision has not yet been made.
Following their work, the volunteers have been in the habit of meeting for coffee, originally at the Woodlander Hotel, but now, because the hotel has been destroyed by fire, they will be enjoying coffee at Lam’s Restaurant across the street.
Tending to a couple clumps of blooming yellow primulas that were donated to Trackside Garden by Norma Chernoff was Trudi Binkley.| Photos by William Koreluik
Janine Scott cleared weeds away from two clumps of blooming purple flowers.
Pulling weeds away from the perennial plants growing in the purple garden at Trackside Garden was Deb Cottenie.
Claire Bishop pruned the rose bushes growing in a bed at Trackside Garden.
Located between the CN Rail tracks to the south, and Nykolaishen Drive to the north, Trackside Garden, containing several themed beds, is sheltered by large trees surrounding it.
