The other day, I sat down in a lawn chair in our back yard and looked around. You’ve probably noticed that end-of-summer look in your own yard, but it amazed me how quickly it came along! Still, we were really pleased with our garden this year, and tried to enjoy its changing beauty each and every day.

To everything there is a season, and the lazy days of summer are done and it is now time to get back into a new routine!  So circle Wednesday, September 19 on your calendar and make plans to attend the first regular meeting of the new year for the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society. Our special guest will be Warren Crossman speaking about “Heirloom Seeds and Growing Old Varieties of Vegetables”. I know many of you save seeds, and Warren will tell us about this very important aspect of gardening, and preserving seeds for the future.

Don’t put that pen away yet! Be sure that you also circle Friday, September 21 on your calendar: that’s the day of the Fall Plant and Bulb Sale, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Parkland Mall.

I say it every year: come early for best selection! There are always savvy shoppers who are there first thing, and if you are looking for a certain plant, it’s best to be early! Remember, too, that if we run out of plants before 5 p.m., the sale is over! That’s Friday, September 21.

Here’s an interesting little factoid: did you know that the Yorkton Horticultural Society has been proudly part of the community since 1906? On September 7 of that year, a group of enthusiastic society members assembled their first flower show at City Hall. It is a testament to their spirit that in spite of the many difficulties and hardships of their everyday lives, they still found the time and energy to “stop and smell the roses”, to take time to enjoy the beauty of their gardens, and to realize that the young Yorkton needed such an outlet. It is also a testament to the wisdom of the City to allow the group to have their first ever flower show right at City Hall. Our City fathers recognized that amid the struggles of establishing a community on the prairies, there still must be time for the appreciation of beauty and culture.

Fast forward now, if you will, to the present time. The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society has undergone many changes over the years. While the focus of the group has always been learning about and appreciation of horticulture, the approach to this end has now shifted. Once made up of mainly farm wives with acre-sized gardens, the group has gone through a metamorphosis born of changing lifestyles and interests. Today’s members are all ages, men and women, with many horticultural interests. Most don’t have the acre-sized gardens anymore, some have their “garden” on a balcony or deck; some don’t even have a garden at all.

But it is the love of horticulture that unites this great group of gardeners!  

If you’re downtown, stop in at City Hall from September 6 - 13 and see the Horticultural Society display — we thank the City for allowing us to mark the anniversary of that first horticultural show!

Talk about a busy month — but so many nice things to look forward to! The weather has been amazing, so make yourself a glass of iced tea and go sit outside and enjoy your garden!

Have a great week!