Now that it appears that autumn is on its way, this is the perfect time to hit the garden and tackle some of those chores you put off this summer like weeding, tending to pathways and adding perennials, shrubs and trees for additional colour and structure.

Hoping to beautify your garden or landscape with affordable trees and mulch? Being a frugal gardener by nature and on the lookout for savings to stretch my meagre dollars, I urge fellow plantaholics to look no further than Clean North’s 3rd Annual “Green Side UP!” event which will be held on Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 from 9 am to 12 Noon, rain or shine, at Lemieux’s Composting, located at 764 Black Road.

As sponsor of the City Beautification’s “Green Glove Pesticide-Free Garden” category, Clean North will be offering gardeners the opportunity to obtain Christmas tree mulch for a small donation. You supply the containers and their volunteers will even help shovel. This mulch is perfect for pathways and shrub borders.

This environmental organization will also be selling a variety of hardy native tree seedlings (Red Oak, Bur Oak, White Cedar, White Spruce, and Red Pine) at very reasonable costs along with rain barrels, bat houses and coir blocks (a great peat substitute). Be sure to get there early as their products go fast!

Clean North volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about environmental issues/community recycling programs in our area. They can be reached at 945-1573.