We were sorry to miss out on our last meeting on March 18; we were very much looking forward to our special guest, Maira Waelchli from Florissima, showing us how to make a bright and beautiful spring arrangement to get us out of our winter slump! We hope that Maira can join us again sometime in the future.
Some of the most comforting words are “this, too, shall pass”, and let’s help each other focus on healthier and happier times. Doesn’t the peace and calm of our gardens seem appealing right now?
Believe it or not, during troubled times in the past, the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society weathered the storms by adapting to the times. Make a cup of tea, and come back in time with me to 1917. The Horticultural Society had been around for ten years by then, and in 1917 the group was busy growing potatoes and vegetables for the war effort. (The Spanish Flu epidemic happened during 1918-1919, infecting one third of the world’s population and killing between fifty million and one hundred million people). During the August show in 1917, the gardener with the highest number of points won the amazing and wonderful prize of $5.00 worth of groceries!
In 1919, the sixth annual flower and vegetable show was held at the town hall in Yorkton, and the prizes were unique but very useful: sacks of oatmeal and flour; ten pounds of butter; and cash prizes too.
If you though wildflower gardening was a new fad, think again! In 1920, there were prizes for wildflowers, and one ton of coal was one of the prizes at the show! Then, as now, the Yorkton town council was a great friend and supporter of the horticultural society, giving the group the astonishing amount of $125. That was a huge amount of money for the time!
Happier times came along, and 1922 must have been an action-packed year, as there was not only a flower and vegetable show but also a flower carnival with a flower queen! Iris bulbs were even ordered to begin municipal iris beds in the town.
1925 marked the 14th annual show, and guess what the special prize was for vegetables: a solid walnut commode, donated by Anderson Furniture. Not sure who won this prize, but again, at the time, it must have been very exciting! There were 700 entries in the show that year!
The 1928 show was special, as this was the year that the town council applied for a city charter! The show was held at the skating rink.
In 1929, the Legislature of Saskatchewan passed an Act respecting horticultural societies, and societies received grants of $12.50 up to $25.00 for administration.
In 1931 the horticultural society took on the project of beautifying the hospital grounds. And guess what, the hort group still cares for the lovely solarium at the hospital: a round of applause should be given to the hard-working members who devote their time and energy weekly to this project. It is a beautiful oasis.
And now here we are in 2020, with a new virus that is darkening our horizons and changing our lives in so many ways. Let’s pray that each time we get together for tea, things will be changing for the better. Take care, stay well, and continue to hope for brighter days in our gardens. Visit the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a good week!
