Besides the regular garden club meetings, March, April and May have numerous learning activities for gardeners. The following are a few of what is offered.
Heinjo Lahring, Bearberry Creek Greenhouses, Nursery & Water Gardens will be speaking at the the Red Deer and District Garden Club’s meeting March 21, 7 p.m., at the Kerrywood Nature Center.
If you are thinking of putting in a water feature, you do not want to miss this presentation as Heinjo’s knowledge is phenomenal as are the product he sells.
You do not need to be a member of the garden club to attend.
There isn’t a charge.
Saturday, March 23, Red Deer College Green Campus and Re-think Red Deer, with a grant from the Alberta Community Action Fund are co-hosting a day long Ecofair which will include workshops and exhibitors with locally crafted products as well as ways to become more sustainable.
Expect to be able to purchase heirloom seeds and items to make the gardening easier.
The show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Cenovus Learning Common (east Trades wing) of the RDC. Cost of attending the fair is free but there is a $5 cover charge for each workshop. Cost of parking at the college on weekends is also free.
Nature Scaping by Ellis Bird Farm is being hosted by the Lacombe County on April 4 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lacombe County Administration office, west of Lacombe.
Learn how to landscape your area to encourage desired wild creatures to visit.
There will be information on plant varieties, water features and types of shelters needed to lure visitors in.
The speaker, Myrna Pearman is engaging, and extremely knowledgeable.
The cost is $20, which includes Myrna’s book NatureScape Alberta.
RSVP by calling Krista or Jalene at 403-782-8959.
The Alberta Dahlia and Gladiola Society is hosting its annual sale at the Kerrywood Nature Center Saturday April 6 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
It will have a second sale at the Lacombe Memorial Center in Lacombe from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 18th.
The sale of the corms and tubers help fund the society and the Piper Creek Trial Gardens, Red Deer.
These are the only Dahlia Trial gardens in Canada, and they are open to the public.
Another reason to attend the sale is the tubers sold at the sale are Alberta grown, hand picked and all in good condition. The variety of tubers is second to none with the cost being more than reasonable.
Have a question?
Ask the people manning the tables as they are all experienced growers and many of them develop new Dahlia’s.
The timing of the sale is such to allow the tubers to be potted up and started indoors if desired.
The gladiola corms for sale are bought in bulk from reputable dealers.
Corms from this company have been grown and displayed to win provincial and national competitions.
The flower colours are bright and true to variety. The size of the spikes are often double of what is produced from corms bought in bags of 12 or 25, but the cost is similar.
A little further afield is the Calgary Horticultural Society’s annual Garden Show May 4 and 5 .
This year it has been moved into the Max Bell Centre (1001 Barlow Trail SE) as opposed to Spruce Meadows.
Cost is $12 plus a service fee in advance or $15 at the door. Cost includes workshops as well as displays and exhibits. Parking is free.
At present time there is a long list of exhibitors that is still growing, and the speaker list is being confirmed.
For those that do not want to drive, contact the Red Deer and District Garden Club, they are planning on chartering a bus to take people to the event. Cost is dependent on how many are riding.
Gardening, regardless of how many years one has gardened, is always a learning process. Take the time to attend any of the events.
There is always something new and of interest.
Linda Tomlinson is a horticulturalist that lives near Rocky Mountain House. She can be reached at your_garden@hotmail.com.