Seedy Saturday Returns to Almonte!

Seedy Saturday Returns to Almonte! - theHumm March 2024

By David Hinks

Are you developing symptoms of “garden-withdrawal syndrome”? Drooling over seed catalogues? Sharpening garden tools until you can shave with them? Haunting the garden aisles of local hardware stores?

Take heart, there is a support group; a place where you can meet like-minded souls whose green thumbs are itching for action. Scott and Marisa, proprietors of Indian Creek Orchard Gardens indiancreekorchard.ca , have bravely (and perhaps foolishly according to Scott) undertaken to bring Seedy Saturday back to Almonte. After a pandemic-related hiatus of four years, it returns on Saturday, March 16 from 10am to 3pm at the Almonte Civitan Hall.

Seedy Saturdays (and Sundays) are locally organized grass-roots events — the Canadian not-for-profit organization Seeds of Diversity seeds.ca has a loose organizational role, providing some guidance and some publicity. They encourage the use of open-pollinated and heritage seeds and the enabling of a local seed exchange. They also promote educating the public about seed saving and environmentally responsible gardening practices.

As a bit of an aside, my better half has expressed umbrage at the use of the word “seedy”, which our dictionary defines as “shabby-looking”. These events are anything but shabby as we collectively look forward to all the beauty that spring has in store!

Scott and Marisa are promising a very full day of everything related to gardening. The complete Civitan Hall will be in use. There will be three lectures in the main speaker hall, three workshops in the workshop room, a couple dozen vendors, four seed exchange tables, two advice tables and several local horticultural societies. The cafeteria will be open all day. The admission fee is $3, which goes directly to Lanark County Interval House to support their Perseverance Pantry Outreach Program for women in challenging circumstances.

The first lecture in the main speaker hall is by Steven Martyn, author of The Sacred Gardener, speaking on co-creating abundance with the land.

The second lecture is by Mélanie Ouellette, Chair and Founder of the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library. She is speaking on how to design and plan a pollinator-friendly garden in your yard using native plants. Find out what plants pollinators like, discover how to attract them, and learn about a few different species you may not be familiar with.The final lecture is by Telsing Andrews of the Edible Ottawa Gardening Group. She will demonstrate how to save common garden vegetable variety seeds, including both wet and dry threshing methods. Telsing has been a gardener and avid seed saver for over twenty years, with an interest in developing a robust food shed.

There will be three workshops in the workshop room. Master Gardener Judy Wall will demonstrate many different methods of starting seeds, from very easy to very difficult. Unique germination requirements of different seeds will also be covered. Discussion will include the environment, locations in your house to start seeds, equipment/supplies required, how to care for seedlings, minimize mildew, air circulation and lighting, how to transition plants from inside to outside, hardening off plants, and what are some good sources for seeds.

There will also be workshops on home composting, and Barrie Brodie of Forest Floor Mushrooms will give an overview of the different methods of growing your own mushrooms at home.

Our local gardening groups will be well represented. There will be Horticultural Societies from Almonte, Carleton Place, Pakenham and McDonalds Corners. You’ll also find the Lanark County Food Bank Blakeney Project, the Canadian Organic Growers, the Seed Library at the Mississippi Mills Library, Seeds of Diversity, Wild Pollinator Partners, Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library and the Lanark County Master Gardeners. For me, one of the most important aspects is the opportunity for networking with many gardening groups.

In its first four years, Seedy Saturday was organized by local entrepreneur Johvi Leeck, and proved to be a very successful Almonte event — a terrific opportunity for gardeners from the area to network, for local producers to showcase their wares, and for learning. It is a great opportunity to support local small businesses — these folks are not in it for the “big bucks” but because they believe fervently in what they are doing. Seedy Saturday’s grass-roots nature — low overhead, low admission, local talent and volunteer energy — distinguishes it from expensive, commercially-driven garden shows. This truly is a local event.

Seedy Saturday is fantastic for the beginner gardener, but also very timely for the serious gardener who is looking for new challenges, perhaps venturing into rare and unusual plants or starting their own seedlings under lights. Peppers, eggplant and tomatoes can be started mid-March. Now is a great time to get out and talk to experienced gardeners and check out the huge diversity of vegetable varieties that are not available in box-store garden centres.

For more details on the great network of Seedy Saturday (and Sunday) events taking place across the country, check out the Seeds of Diversity website seeds.ca . In our region, you can also visit Ottawa and Brockville on March 2; Perth, Pembroke and Kemptville on March 3; and Kingston on March 9.

For up-to-date information on Almonte’s Seedy Saturday, go to the Facebook Page for Lanark County Seedy Saturday.

Pamela Stewart —An Invitation to Escape and Breathe - theHumm March 2024

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

theHumm’s mandate is to connect and promote Ottawa Valley people and events, and that is why abstract mixed media artist Pamela Stewart is qualified to be our featured artist this month. The website of this Kanata-based artist at paminottawa.com proudly proclaims that she is Co-Owner/Gallerist of the new Carleton Place Gallery located at 210 Bridge Street.

Carlet......

Seedy Saturday Returns to Almonte! - theHumm March 2024