Autumn 2024 has arrived. Hopefully summer 2024 has been good to you all. It has been a typical, unpredictable, southern Ontario summer. Some hot spells, some rain here and there and some very dry spells. All in all, it wasn’t too bad of a summer.
Now a little time to relax and enjoy your autumn garden. Sit out back some evenings and listen to one of your favourite cricket and toad symphonies.
As for summer and upcoming autumn garden news:
- Sunday Music in the Garden was a success. We had eight different Sunday performances this summer. Perhaps more next summer! Stay tuned for more breaking information in the coming months as 2025 Sunday Music in the Garden plans firm up.
- The lily sale was again a success. Thanks to Gord for his time, also volunteers, digging lilies for the sale. Funds will be used to purchase perennials, annuals and garden tools for the Dominion Seed House Gardens.
- We were very happy to be selected as one of the recipients of a Halton Hills 50th Anniversary Legacy grant. Funds have been used for the creation of a beautiful garden sculpture. The sculpture has the original three Dominion Seed House plants. Those being a Peony, Lily and Iris. The work was created by Doris Treleaven of Metalscape in Limehouse. The work will be officially unveiled in the garden, on Tuesday October 22 at 2:00PM
There is still a little work to do here in the gardens as well as your gardens.
We are understanding more and more about the benefits of many insects in gardens. When cleaning up gardens before winter:
- Leave a couple inches of fallen leaves in flower beds, beneath shrubs and trees.
- Leave a brush pile or two in corners of the garden.
Did you know:
- Woolly bear caterpillars tuck themselves into leaf piles for protection from cold weather and predators.
- Luna moths and swallowtail butterflies disguise their cocoons and chrysalises as dried leaves, blending in with the “real” leaves.
- Bumble bees create nests in cavities underground, in trees, or in brush piles.
- 30% of native bees are tunnel-nesting, such as leafcutter and mason bees.
For much more information check out this wonderful website.
https://www.xerces.org/leave-the-leaves
Fall Clean-up Day is Saturday Oct 26 from 9 to noon.
New volunteers are always welcome. You do not need gardening experience – just be available on Tuesday mornings from 9:00am until noon. You can start now for the month of Oct and or next spring in May. We have fun, make new friends, work “hard” & play in the dirt. It is all worth it when we hear many compliments about how wonderful the gardens are.
Did you know that you can have your special occasion at the Garden – birthday parties, christenings, weddings, graduations & just about any kind of celebration. Contact the Town of Halton Hills. The rent is very reasonable and a share of those funds go back towards supporting the Garden.
Raising money is important to us in order to buy the plants, tools, etc. We selling beautiful note cards with pictures of the Garden on them as well as potted Dahlias and bare root Cannas on Tuesday mornings when we are at the Garden.
from Diane & Wayne
Co-chairs of the “The Friends of the Old Seed House Garden”.
In the heart of Georgetown, Ontario
The Garden is located at 135 Maple Avenue in Georgetown, Ontario. Plenty of free parking is available on-site; the parking lot is located off of Maple Avenue just north of Guelph Street (Hwy 7). Map & directions»
Fall Clean Up
Please come out and join us on Saturday Oct. 26th, from 9 to noon for our annual Fall Garden Clean up .. All are welcome. No Green Thumb needed!!!
The Old Seed House Garden: Our Story
Dominion Seed House was one of the largest mail order suppliers in Canada. The iconic mock Tudor building was a landmark in Georgetown and a tourist attraction in its own right. Learn More»
