Well, this past week has been a time of unexpected weather. I’m still hoping (fingers crossed!) that we’ll have nice days ahead before winter sets in! With that optimism in mind, I’d like to tell you about some tulips that I planted just before the snow came last week. I hope you will have a chance to plant some as well. These are very special tulips, Liberation 75 tulips, part of a very special project. What is this project all about? The Royal Canadian Legion, The Netherlands, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have teamed together to mark the 75th anniversary in 2020 of the liberation of the Netherlands. The goal is to plant 1.1 million “Liberation 75” tulips, to honor the 1.1 million Canadians who served in World War II.
The tulips are a stunning orange color, with pointed petals. The bulbs come from Holland. Visit www.Liberation75.ca to find out how to order your tulip bulbs. One dollar from every bag of tulips sold will go to the Royal Canadian Legion, supporting all those who have served our country.
Some members of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society are taking part in this project, and I greatly commend those who are taking part. By doing so we are able to honor those brave men and women who went to war, showing them a sign of respect and gratitude with the beauty and hope of new flowers in the spring. Almost everyone has a little corner of earth to throw in a few tulip bulbs; they certainly don’t take much space: you can plant 15 in an eighteen inch square.
Until the ground freezes much more, you can still make it happen! So please make a meaningful and beautiful addition to your garden or flowerbeds, order your bulbs, for yourself or share them with a friend, and be part of this wonderful project.
Kudos, also, to two grade ten classes from the YRHS who helped to plant hundreds of the tulip bulbs at the cenotaph and at City Cemetery for the Legion branch. Great job, you are all part of this historical event!
In anticipation of some snow-free days ahead, (fingers still crossed!) if you are still going to be raking up leaves or picking them up with your lawnmower, please do not throw them away! Fallen leaves are a goldmine of good things for your garden: nutrients, insulation, and the start of valuable compost. You can do a number of things with them. Store them to use as the brown matter in your compost. Use them as insulation if you are setting up cover, with a box or burlap, to protect some tender perennials. Use them as mulch to protect the crowns of roses or perennials that might need a little more insulation. Or just spread them on the garden to break down over winter, then work them in next spring when you till the garden. If you bag them up and throw them away, you’re missing out on a great resource.
The next meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be held on Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. This is a “members only” meeting, so members, if you have any questions, just call Liz at 782-2830.
So now here’s a little factoid. Did you know that the flowers for October are cosmos and marigolds? Cosmos represent order and harmony in the world, and the even spacing of their petals represent this order. Marigolds are sometimes associated with grief or death, but the more contemporary, upbeat meaning is that the bright colors of the marigold represent the warmth of the sun and the power of the sun’s bright light to bring things to life. With this outlook, marigolds stand for optimism!
Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a great week!
