Dunnville Horticultural Society hits the road with Summer Garden Tour

By Olivia Smith

DUNNVILLE—Saturday, July 6, 2024 was a lovely day to be a gardener … warm, but not too hot, a gentle breeze, and, for Dunnville Horticultural Society (DHS), lots of visiting with good company.

      DHS held their Summer Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 6. It was an opportunity for members to share their gardens and expertise with one another.

      The tour featured six beautiful properties in the Dunnville, Canfield, and Cayuga areas.

      The route began with Pat Henderson’s “immaculate urban collection of perennial gardens where something is always in bloom.” Henderson proudly displays her diverse plants, asserting “coneflowers are the best flowers” because “they stay where they’re put, they bloom all summer, and you hardly ever have to deadhead them!”

      Scattered among the coneflowers, sumac trees, cacti, and lilies is a sampling of Henderson’s fascinating rock collection. Henderson and her husband have gathered many of their rocks travelling through Ontario and Quebec during their nearly 65-year marriage. Others they got by trading with fellow rock collectors. Sediments, crystals, and minerals tell the stories of the Hendersons’ life and the places they have explored.

      Next on the tour was Becky Pauls and family, who enjoy caring for their vibrant rural property together. Food and flowers grow in harmony in Pauls’ raised companion beds, aiding with pest control and attracting pollinators.

      Pauls also rotates her crops and uses a small greenhouse to protect plants in early spring. Surrounding the vegetable patch are young trees, backyard sunflowers, and a hedge of rosebushes just finishing up for the summer.

      Down the road, members delighted in the restful, rolling hills of Purple Haven Lavender Farm. Kim Drew welcomed visitors, happily telling the story of Purple Haven – where the farm began, how they have grown, and the different crops they grow and events they host now. Planted with the lavender are brilliant red poppies and other pollinator plants. At the back of the farm, a scarecrow dutifully guards a small field of young sunflowers overlooking a maze of pumpkin and flower patches.

      After Purple Haven, members left the main road to explore Beth Powell’s enchanting acreage. When Powell and her husband purchased the property more than 30 years ago, it was a smooth, treeless hayfield. Today, visitors walk in to a land of forests, glades, and ponds that surprises at every turn.

      “I started with a clean slate,” smiles Powell. “We’ve planted more than 150,000 trees, and we’re still planting.”

      The plants and gardens have changed over the years – in the beginning, Powell needed sun-loving flowers. Now that the trees have matured she needs more shade-tolerant plants.

      Crossing Highway 3, the tour moved to Mary Galli’s “10 acre rural dazzler” of “rock gardens, a sunken garden with lilies, and endless flowers.” Members enjoyed learning about one another’s gardening strategies and loves, and ended with tea and treats at the last stop: Windecker Woods Flower Farm.

      DHS executive and past president Debbie Thomas was excited to see the variety of gardens and gardeners on the tour.

      “When Dunnville Hort started, it was all about planting trees in the park. Then in the ‘50s and ‘60s everyone wanted the perfect rosebud. Now, gardening is more than just flowers.”

      DHS members enjoy their bright blooms, homegrown food, and strong community.