Kick off growing season with Seedy Saturday

Gardeners of Sault Ste. Marie are invited to kick off the growing season with Seedy Saturday.

The annual event will take place on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the United Baptist Church.

There will be a seed exchange, vendors, exhibitions, children’s activities and guest speakers.

Find the full news release from the Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society below:

No matter what the groundhog predicts, or what is happening with this year’s winter weather, you can count on the Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society to kick off the 2024 growing season with Seedy Saturday on Saturday, March 2.

The annual event will take place at the United Baptist Church, at 41 Malabar Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year’s event includes: seed exchange, vendors, exhibitions, children’s activities, guest speakers and light food fare and refreshments. The Seed Swap, open to people who have collected their own seeds to exchange, is from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Seed Swap table will then be open for purchase, by the public, at 10 a.m.

“This year our focus is on revitalizing the point of Seedy Saturday, which is to encourage everyone to save seeds because it is an important practice in building food security,” says Andrea Aubertin, President, Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society. “By saving seeds from rarer plants we ensure a greater diversity of species, otherwise our future may only have a few varieties of seeds that are only bred for high production value; we do not want to lose varieties which have more unique characteristics such as better taste, interesting colour, or unusual texture.”

Aubertin encourages attendees to bring in their own saved seeds from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. so they can have first chance at exchanging seeds.

Attendees are asked to bring cash for purchases as electronic debit will not be available. A different guest speaker will present, on the hour, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The guest speaker line-up includes:

10 a.m. - Mary MacLachlan from Deertree Apiary: “Are you and Your Garden Bee Friendly?”

11 a.m.- Tom and Susan Wilding from Wilding Acres: “Starting Plants from Seeds Indoors”

12 p.m. - Cindy Ellen Crawford, local gardener: “From Giant Greenhouse to Backyard Garden: A virtual tour of a mega greenhouse and gardening planter tips”

1 p.m. - Lindsey Palumbo from Superior Gardener: “Question & Answer Session”

Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society Members will be on-site, at Seedy Saturday, to answer questions from new and seasoned gardeners. Memberships will also be available. Memberships are a great gift suggestion for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day or for a new homeowner.The $15 annual membership comes with discounts at a number of area garden centres, greenhouses, landscaping/yard services, florists and pruning and tree/shrub care suppliers.

The next Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society event will be the Plant Sale, held at the Parks Canada Canal Greenhouse on Saturday, May 18 from 8 a.m. to noon. Plants can be purchased by cash, cheques or e-transfers only. Loonies, toonies and small bills appreciated. Bring your mode of plant transportation such as bags, boxes or wagons. Proceeds support garden and beautification initiatives throughout the city.

The Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society presents informational garden talks. Join us at 7 p.m. on the first Monday, from September to June, on the lower level (back entrance) of the United Baptist Church at 41 Malabar. In addition to coffee and conversation, each meeting includes an informative garden topic. For upcoming topics, or to learn more garden tips, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/ssmhort.