Seedy Saturday

A sure sign that spring is on its way

The earlier sunrise and later sunsets may give comfort that winter is on its way out—despite the still pervasive snow cover on the ground—but the surest sign that spring is just around the corner is the annual Seedy Saturday event at PECI. Last Saturday, hundreds of people flocked over to the school to take part in the free seed swap, to pick up seeds and products from vendors and to attend informative workshops about all things gardening. No matter what shade of green was your thumb, there was something for you. The central attraction was the seed swap table with dozens of types of seeds available for the taking. From delicate flowers to hardy (and hearty) vegetables there were free seeds, sometimes in several varieties. There were a number of seed vendors present as well, offering a range of organic seeds. Shannon Gerard of Plant Parenthood had flower and herb seeds grown on her farm. She thoroughly researches each type of seed and how to grow them so they remain true to type. For people who have had difficulty keeping plants alive, she had a whimsical array of crocheted succulents called “Plants You Can’t Kill”. Other vendors included Vicki’s Veggies and Fiddlehead Farms offering local grown vegetables, and Honey Pie Hives and Herbals with their honey products. There were a number of local organizations as well, including the County Garden Club, the Ameliasburgh Garden Club, the West Lake Community Association and the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists. Members of the 1000 Islands Master Gardeners, which encompasses the region from Quinte West to Brockville, were there to offer advice as well. They have a mandate to provide science-based gardening advice to the public and offer workshops and garden consults, as well as a regular Zoom session called “Ask a Master Gardener”. In addition, there was a kids’ area with craft activities and potted spider plants for the taking. Local chefs provided soups, sandwiches, fresh baked bread and cookies, all for pay-what-you-can, with proceeds going to the Sophiasburgh Food Hub.

There were three informative workshops that were well attended. The first, presented by Gerry Jenkison and Lise Bois, provided information about Miyawaki forests and how to plant one, and they described how they created one at Mariners Museum. The second presentation was by Bailey Austin-Macmillan of Dropseed Nursery on how to use native plants in a residential setting. She noted that native plants are more resilient and better able to cope with adverse weather conditions. She described the types of plants best suited to be planted beside a house, those suitable for full sun or lawn naturalization, plants for a rain garden, and how to plant an edible forest garden. The final speaker of the day was Jai Wright, who spoke about how to save your own seeds. The ethos of Seedy Saturday was perhaps best summed up by Ms. Gerard. “This is the first event that people do when they start to believe in Spring again.”