It doesn’t seem possible, but September is here! Summer may be slowing down, but September brings good things like the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society Annual Fall Bulb and Plant Sale, Friday, Sept. 21 from 9:30 a.m. till 5 p.m. at the Parkland Mall in Yorkton. If you want to replace, restock, or rejuvenate your garden, this sale offers you the perfect chance to find some interesting new plants for your collection! Gardeners will be on hand to answer your questions or offer some plant suggestions. Planting now still gives plants lots of time to get settled in before winter.
I’d also like to tell you about a wonderful event that opens on Sunday, Sept. 9. One of our most exuberant and joyful gardeners, and a dear friend, Sonja Pawliw, is having a show, “Sonja Pawliw: Living Garden” at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery in Yorkton. Over the years Sonja’s sparkling artistic spirit has taken many avenues, and very often her garden has been her inspiration, as seen in her paintings, photography and mosaic work. Nature and art combine beautifully in Sonja’s work, so come out on Sept. 9 for the opening of her show!
And it’s meeting time again! The first meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at SIGN on North Street. Our special guest speaker will be Jenn Fedun speaking to us about “Prairie Plant Practices: Domestic Remedies and Healing Rituals”. Everyone is welcome; you don’t have to be a member of the group to come to the meetings.
At this time of the season gardeners are starting to think about bringing some plants indoors. I was reading a book by Jim and Lois Hole entitled “Bedding Plants: Practical Advice and the Science Behind It”. This wonderful book was published in 2000, but has so much good information that if you see it in a bookstore or book sale, it will be a very worthwhile addition to your garden library.
The Holes say that several things are key when we bring plants indoors for the winter. Light is the first consideration. Most plants like bright light, but not direct sunlight. If they are in direct sun they can get overheated.
That leads to the second consideration: temperature. Plants should be kept cool and their soil should be dry. Mid-winter (after the new year) we can move our plants to warmer areas and begin watering them again, but till then the advice is that plants like cool temps and bright light. It’s a mix that’s not easily reached in our homes, unless you are lucky enough to have a spare room with a big window and a furnace vent that you can close.
But still, we should not be discouraged! Bringing in our plants gives us a head start for next year, and allows us to enjoy their beauty all over again. The book does say that geraniums and fuchsias are great choices to make the move indoors. I’m glad to hear that because some very dear friends gifted us with a beautiful delicate pink and white fuchsia, and we will gladly move it indoors this fall!
However, the season is not over yet! If you are shopping for fresh garden produce, remember that you can find locally-grown produce at the Yorkton Gardeners’ Market, every Saturday from 8 a.m. till noon at Melrose and Simpson streets in Yorkton (north parking lot of the Prairie Harvest Christian Life Centre). Please note the time change. To register as a seller, call Glen at (306) 783-7040.
Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a great week!
