How does your garden grow?
The Collingwood Garden Club’s beds have been doing well so far this season.
The club, more formally known as the Collingwood Horticultural Society, will host its annual plant sale Saturday, June 4 at Trinity United Church on Maple Street. This year’s fundraising goal for the sale is $10,000, with all of the plants grown in Collingwood and donated by members of the club and the community.
Due to COVID-19, the sale went on hiatus in 2020 and a virtual version was held in 2021.
“I really put my heart and soul into this. I feel our club, with the amount of people we have, we can put on a fabulous plant sale,” said Lynn Murray, plant sale director. “We have great volunteers.”
The plants this year are mostly homegrown perennials, but also include tomato plants and some herbs. Prices range from $2 to $20.
“They’re all grown here in Collingwood, either by a member or the nursery beds at the arboretum,” said Murray.
Some members of the club grow plants with the intention of donating them to the annual event, while others simply want their garden cleaned out. Instead of getting rid of the plants, they donate them to be re-homed.
The annual plant sale is a major fundraiser for the club.
“The funds go back into the arboretum, as well as vegetable gardens at the Barbara Weider House, My Friend’s House and Breaking Down Barriers,” said Murray.
The Collingwood club also works with sister clubs in other areas such as Creemore and Stayner and stagger their plant sales over a number of days so they don’t conflict.
The Collingwood Horticultural Society has been in existence in some capacity since the 1880s. Its current iteration started in the early 1970s and now consists of about 120 members.
“If you’re new to Collingwood, it’s one way to get to know others,” said Murray. “A lot of people don’t even know there’s an arboretum here.”
The club is in charge of the Collingwood Arboretum in collaboration with the Town of Collingwood, maintaining memorial tree and shrub donations in the five-acre area. Yearly membership fees are $20 for an individual or $30 per household. Members meet monthly (with some exceptions) and have the opportunity to participate in various events and activities throughout the year.
“Our main mission is to provide horticultural knowledge,” said Barbara Collinson, arboretum director for the club. “We enjoy getting together with other gardeners, talking about gardening and having guest speakers come in. We’re happy to support new gardeners.”
“We believe very strongly that you should buy and support local,” she added.
The Collingwood Garden Club plant sale takes place June 4 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., or until they sell out. Cash only.
For more information on the Collingwood Garden Club, click here.
