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Saturday 17 May 2014

2014 Garden Tour Passes on Sale Today

Our horticultural society is pleased to announce that the tour passes for the 2014 annual garden tour are on sale as of Saturday,May 17th. Each tour pass outlines a description of the gardens on the tour and contains a detailed map of the location of each garden. In addition, we have a map that shows the local restaurants participating in the tour. These restaurants are offering a discount for lunch on the day of the tour, Saturday,July 12th.
To purchase your $15 tour pass please visit the following Bobcaygeon locations:
Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce
Bobcaygeon Library
Bobcaygeon Electronics
Purdy`s Jewellery
My Favourite Things
Rural Roots Gardens
Strang's Garden Centre and
Stokes on Trent(Fenelon Falls)
More information on the tour will appear in a later blog.

Monday 5 May 2014

Being a Bee Smart Gardener

Sadly, the bees are playing hard to find and is not a happy event as we need their pollinating expertise.
I won`t share with you the facts of their struggles as a species but instead, share some ideas to help boost the bee populations.Here is what we can do:

a) plant and create green spaces in our urban areas,leave patches of bare soil,rocks and piles of brush for use as a habitat for ground-dwelling native bees. If possible,plant caterpillar host plants so as to provide pollen and nectar throughout the growing season.

b) install bee dwellings around your yard by drilling holes in wood blocks. Lee Valley sells bee homes if you wish to purchase a commercial variety.

c) plant woody plants such as elderberry,raspberry, and sumac as these branches have soft insides and
when cut back, expose the softness for the bees to nest in.

d) eliminate or change the way you apply pesticides. Do not use them on plants that are blooming.Apply
them at night when bees are much less active. Spray from the ground level upwards to the top to reduce drift to neighboring agricultural areas.

e) place pollinator habitat signs around pastures,community gardens,city parks,bike trails or town yards
to promote conservation.

f) plant herbs such as lavender,thyme, and catmint as well as, perennials like buttercup,asters, hollyhocks, and hardy geraniums and lastly, plant annuals such as poppies, sunflowers,and sweet alyssum.

Check out the new pollinator patch being developed at the Wilderness Park just outside of Bobcaygeon along
Highway 36 N. This patch may give you some ideas for plants you might grow in your yard.
Check out the website for the Wilderness Park: www.wilderness park.ca

A Special Group of Hands-On Speakers-May 15

Spring is finally here, yipppee! People have a happy face and a newly found perkiness in their step.
To welcome the season, we have invited a group of the Haliburton County Master Gardeners to share with you several expert ideas for your gardening pleasure.

From their colourful handouts, they provided me to share with you, it appears we are in for a wonderful "let`s get our hands and minds actively involved session." They will have several of their gardeners lead us in groups so we have our own Master Gardener providing us advice and able to answer our questions. This small group process will put each of us at ease as we ask questions and not feel embarrassed in doing so. Many of our members have asked for a session like this and it is our pleasure to provide one for you.

Our meeting will be held on Thursday,May 15,2014 at the Knox Presbyterian Church Hall and will begin at 6:30pm.
So come out with your questions about your garden and hear from the experts who also garden in our zone. It plans to be an enjoyable and somewhat intimate experience. Looking foward to seeing you there.Happy gardening....finally!