By Deb Zynomirski
President, Dunnville Horticultural Society
By now, many of you are in the final stages of planting your gardens and getting ready to enjoy the beauty of flowers or the bounty of fruits and vegetables … or maybe both! Well, I am proud to say that despite the COVID-19 restrictions still in place, the Dunnville Horticultural Society (DHS) was allowed to prepare and plant our many public flower beds.
Due to the COVID restrictions, we could only have a few volunteers working in any given bed at any given time. So, we strategically worked the Planting Days across three consecutive days. Volunteers were required to wear masks and practise social distancing. The end result is stunning! Our flower gardens, once again, will beautify Dunnville this summer thanks to our hard-working volunteers and board members!
Once again, we are indebted to Konkle Greenhouses for the almost 200 flats of healthy, robust annuals they provided. And without the diligent watering efforts of Egger Truck and Machine’s own Charlie and Roger, well those gorgeous flowers wouldn’t stand a chance in this drought-stricken spring! Thank you to everyone involved!
In addition, you may have noticed that a new purple martin house has been erected in Wingfield Park. It has been several years since this element has been hoisted for use. Thank you to Sticker It for their services! Hopefully we will see many martins form a new colony in this house.
In addition, the new barn swallow structures that were put up in the Thompson Creek Eco Centre (TCEC) (thank you Dan McKay), are seeing some nests being built by these beautiful birds. Barn swallows need sticks, twigs, grasses, and mud to build their nests, and all of these elements are in plentiful supply at TCEC!
As you enjoy the longer days and warmer weather, take time to smell the flowers. With most of the planting now done, you have earned a well-deserved rest!
If you are interested in a 2021 DHS membership, please send a cheque or money order ($10 single, $15 couple) to Dunn-ville Horticultural Society, P.O. Box 274, Dunnville, Ontario N1A 2X5. Your membership card will be mailed directly to you. Although our DHS monthly Program Nights are still on hiatus, your DHS Board continues to work behind the scenes, planning for this year. In the meantime, you can keep up with us at dunnvillehortandgardenclub.org. You can also contact me for more information at debzyn@gmail.com. Think green thoughts!
