2010 Annual General Meeting

2010, just one month left before we change the date! Where has the year gone?

Like many gardeners we all start to get’ itchy’ fingers when the seed catalogues arrive, so on a very mild day in February I went to ‘Jump on Spring’ at Edwards Gardens.

At the end of the month I attended the President’s Meeting of which there is one in spring [February] and one in the fall [September]. This where the presidents of all the Societies in District 15 meet with Carole Spraggett our District 15 Director who provides us with up dates from the Ontario Horticultural Association, information on the convention, information on the District meeting in April and other relevant facts.

(President, Barb Downey [left] and Distirct Director, Carole Spraggett [right] presents the 2010 Service Award to Tina Stone.

This year the programme committee brought to the Society a diverse range of topics, two of which I missed as I was out of the country.

In April several members and myself went to Humber College to see the landscape designs the students had done as a project. These designs were suggestion that could be used to go around the new ecological building. Our Society had donated money to the College towards implementing the winning design.

Victoria Day, we had our annual plant sale and we had many repeat buyers who enjoy purchasing plants from local gardens. We also gave out sunflower and squash seeds to the youth to encourage them to plant them and then display the results at our booth at Kettleby Fair in September . We had prizes for several different categories [such as longest zucchini] The winner came taped to a board because it was so long. Other classes were largest flower head, tallest flower head on the stock and smallest flower. Instead of plants we sold packets of fall bulbs [narcissus and crocus] and showed how to layer plant them.

July saw another successful garden tour; we thank the owners for allowing us to show their gardens, one of which this year won the Mayor’s award. Also many thanks goes to Roz and her dedicated committee for all the work they do to make this a great day.

Thru out the season members have worked at several gardens in the area to keep them looking good and this has sometimes been challenging.

In closing I would like to thank all who have worked with me, your commitment and support has made my job as your President easy.

At the March meeting we celebrated with an anniversary cake. In April we hosted the seventeen societies at the District 15 AGM held at the Seneca College, Dufferin Campus. Bolton Horticultural Society helped by providing the breakfast for the delegates and guests and Schomberg Horticultural Society helped us at registration and the flower show. This was a big job for a small society and with many hours of planning and preparation it was a great day. Well done to all.

Successful plant sales were held in May and September and a wonderful garden tour took place in July, featuring many of the areas private gardens. All these events raise money to be used in the community gardens, increasing the lilac grove at Wellesley Park as well as bringing speakers to our meetings covering a diverse number of topics.

Two memorial sugar maple trees were planted at Hill Farm Park for life members Muriel MacTaggart and Betty Castator as well as a red oak replaced for Elsie St. Jacques. Plaques have yet to be got for Muriel and Betty as well as a dedication date to be set for spring 2009.

Participation in the flower shows varied each month due to weather, timing of plant material, as well as the amount of time members were able to give to preparing and transporting their entries. However the quality presented to our judges drew much praise.

It has been difficult without a secretary and I would like to thank those who filled in with the job. The help and support of the executive has been wonderful and the members at large who have given of their time I thank-you; but we need some of you to step-up to the plate and join us on the board.

Barb Downey, President