Seedy Saturday plants anticipation for spring’s arrival

Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
While the sharing of seeds is at the heart of Seedy Saturday PEC, the annual event is also about the gathering of community, on what has so far been a snowy, wintry winter keeping many indoors hibernating, and dreaming of all things green and growing.

And while spring still feels a long way off, the harbinger of spring is now in its 16th year. The grassroots event, built on the tradition of seed saving and sharing, and resilience, brings numerous local and regional vendors showcasing hand-made, hand-crafted and hand-grown wares, interesting presentations, kids’ activities, information and resources galore, even plant-based food choices for lunch, and of course, seeds whether from the big, free seed swap table, or for purchase from heritage and specialist seed vendors.

The free admission event held again this year in the gymnasium at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute in Picton, always draws a crowd and it seems never fails to bring an element of enjoyment and anticipation for those seeking a connection to the earth in preparation for spring sowing and planting. It offers much variety, interest and learning for those interested in pursuing or exploring planting this growing season, whether for the first time or bringing decades of growing knowledge.

And it brings planting ideas and inspiration for every level of gardener, and even those who have yet to wander into the realm of gardening and growing.

Appearing to grow in size and variety every year, the seed swap tables (numerous smaller tables rather than one large table this year, making it easier to seed rummage) piled high and frequently replenished (as more seeds are dropped off), contains an enormous range of seeds a grower might be looking for, and likely a few they were not expecting.

While there were a lot of vegetable seeds to be had, there were also plenty of flower seeds too (annual and perennials), grains, even cannabis, where the idea behind the swap table is to share saved seeds already collected and dried from gardens locally. Folks are encouraged to drop off seeds or packets and pick-up a few of something new or different to grow.

Vegetable seeds included leeks, corn, tomatoes, black turtle beans and butternut squash, and in the flower department, French marigold, salvia, portulaca, cosmos, Joe pye weed, sunflowers and lavender were among the seemingly endless choices.

Whether it was skeins of wool, garden tools, root vegetables, books, air plants and cacti, and dried flowers, the vendor booths aimed to satisfy many gardener’s needs.

Between the free seed swap and the many seed vendors, every seed need should be met, but for those wanting to learn more about seed sovereignty, the Kenhte:ke Seed Sanctuary and Learning Centre was one of three free presentations (they also had a booth) among guest speakers running throughout the day in the library.

Lise Bois and Robin Reilly started the morning off with a presentation on composting basics which saw a great turnout for those hungry to learn more about how stuff decays and breaks-down into organic matter to use in the garden. Coving the basics of how to compost, the interesting and interactive talk (that came with lots of audience questions) not only spoke to the benefits of composting, but the types of composters suited to home composting, as well as what things can be added (or not) to the compost pile, and getting the right combination of greens (vegetables, fruits, plant material) and browns (leaves, twigs) for perfect compost.

Reilly also spoke to how cover crops can be beneficial to the soil, whether sown in the spring or fall, adding nutrients to the soil, where he said the soil becomes a compost crop. He also went over those crops suited to growing as a cover crop, which differ depending on what time of year they are sown.

While composting is something that is done outdoors, Bois also spoke to the idea of inside composting in what is known as vermicomposting, for those happy to have red wiggler worms living in the kitchen. While it is a slow way to compost, Bois indicated it is an easy and no-fuss method that produces exceptional quality compost. As someone who practices what she preaches, she assures it does not smell, it doesn’t attract fruit flies, and she has not experienced any worm escapees.

The Ameliasburgh Garden Club and the County Garden Club were both represented, along with members available for garden-related questions, along with several other community groups. Look up, and several volunteer experts could be found wandering about to help guide folks, or answer gardening questions, or just bring a smile –easily spotted donning colourful big “ask me” headgear (created by the local Department of Illumination group).

For many gardeners, the community event nourishes the soul, ignites excitement for planting season to begin sooner than later (especially this year). It’s a pleasing and positive opportunity for neighbours to connect, friends to re-acquaint, knowledge to be shared, a time for learning, a time to think positively about growing opportunities, with ideas for exploring something new or different.

The most colourful flowers in the room, grown and dried in the County, came courtesy of Ben Oczkowski of Ben’s Blooms who has a flower farm south of Milford, where he not only dries some of the flowers so bouquets are available in the wintertime, but he also grows many fresh cut flowers during the growing season.

The third presentation of the day centred around flower gardening, where Oczkowski briefly covered those flowers he like to grow and why, explaining the rule of thirds when arranging a bouquet (a third each of a focal flower, filler and greenery), where he also explained the timing of sowing flower seeds, along with the benefits of succession planting. Oczkowski highlighted those flowers he likes to grow for cutting, but also those best suited for drying where he had samples on hand to demonstrate.

Similar Seedy Saturday community events take place every year, usually in February or March, Canada-wide. They began as a Seeds of Diversity project. The charitable organization’s mandate is to preserve and share seeds to improve access to seeds, while safeguarding biodiversity.