After a winter of white and brown, with moments of blue skies and green fir trees, Thunder Bayers are always eager to see that first dandelion or that hardy crocus peeping through the thawing snow. Why? Because after nearly seven months of snow we crave life! Purple lilacs! Red poppies! Yellow and orange marigolds!
And as spring turns into summer, these little oases of colour and growth breathe a little more life into our city.
No one knows or appreciates this more than the Thunder Bay Horticultural Society. Every spring this group of dedicated green thumbed volunteers set out with a mission: to beautify our city with every colour of the rainbow with plants and trees, flowers and shrubs.
If you’ve ever stopped to, ahem, “smell the flowers” at Magnus Theatre, the Community Auditorium, or the Pioneer Home for the Aged, you have the TBHS to thank.
But the group does more than create gardens. They are dedicated to making each flower bed, each stand of trees and shrubs, a complete experience. “A garden provides enjoyment, relaxation, and helps relieve stress and promote well-being,” says Shirley Robson, Past President of the Society. “It gives everyone a general feel-good feeling.”
Volunteers who maintain the gardens at the Pioneer Ridge Home for the Aged understand this very well. Residents often come by to visit while the volunteers are busy weeding, pruning, and adding more flowers to the gardens. “They’ll tell us about the gardens they had before moving into the nursing home,” Robson says. “It’s a favourite place of mine to volunteer because of this interaction.”
The Dedication Garden at the corner of Oliver Road and Enniskillen Avenue is another project the TBHS is proud of. An arbour, stone bench, and a large accent rock for plaques, provides a peaceful place to stop and reflect but it is the greenery that brings life to the spot. Since its creation, numerous shrubs and trees have been planted for year long pleasure, while a variety of annuals are maintained during the warmer months. Through fundraising efforts, the society was able to make amendments to the soil and install an underground irrigation system. Robson attributes the leadership skills of TBHS members Marie Hynna and Susan Jaward for this ongoing project.
Perhaps the most interesting and most appreciated garden the TBHS has been a part of is Millie’s Fragrant Garden at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s location at 229 Camelot Street.
Millie Frederickson, the heart and soul of the CNIB for over twenty years, dreamed of a fragrant garden that everyone, including the visually impaired, could enjoy. Following her passing this garden came to life because of the generous donations from friends, family, staff and the community, including Landale Gardens who has supplied the plants free to the CNIB for the last five years.
Bev Werbowy recalls a special time while volunteering in the garden. A client who had complete vision loss wanted to work with her but not being able to tell the difference between a weed and a “good” plant posed a problem. Werbowy decided to show the client by letting him feel the difference. She placed his hands around a flower and allowed him to visualize it, then she did the same with a weed. Once he had felt the difference he was able to help. “It was wonderful and an honour to have worked with this man,” Werbowy says.
And there’s more. In hopes of sharing the joys of gardening with the next generation, the TBHS provides tomato seedlings to grade three students during the Slice of Farming - Project Pizza, an initiative that teaches children the source of foods from cheese to pepperoni to tomato sauce. The students learn how to look after the plant so they can enjoy harvesting the fruit in the fall.
Various workshops are also held throughout the year, including seed swaps and presentations by seasoned gardeners who are always willing to share their expertise. Fundraisers, such as the annual Plant Sale and Gently Used Items and Plant Auction, held in May at the Oliver Road Community Centre, keep the society going, helping in the purchase of plants, tools and equipment.
If you’ve ever wanted to find that green thumb or already have years of gardening experience, the TBHS would love to welcome you into its fold. With many more projects planned for this coming year more volunteers are
always appreciated. To learn more about the Thunder Bay Horticultural Society visit their website at: www.tbayhortsociety.weebly.com
