Paris Horticultural Society is ready for the season to bloom!

By Casandra Turnbull, with content supplied by the Paris Horticultural Society

The Paris Horticultural Society (PHS) is gearing up for spring –and by all accounts their busy season - by picking up some fresh gardening tips from guest speakers who attend the society’s monthly meetings.

These meetings help PHS members stay informed on what has changed in the world of gardening and how they can adapt to the environment around them.

As an example, discussions on climate change have prompted members to look at plants that are drought tolerant and can stand up to extreme temperatures and storms It’s valuable tips and ideas like this that come about during their monthly gatherings where guest speakers come from a variety of backgrounds share expertise. The meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p m at the Paris Fairgrounds from September to June. Anyone is invited to attend, hear the excellent speakers, and perhaps pick up some tips to bring home to your own garden.

Between June to September the members are busy hosting events, sales, tours and just taking care of the beautification of Paris!

With spring officially in bloom (sort of), there’s other exciting news on the horizon for PHS. The County of Brant is officially part of the Communities in Bloom challenge designed to foster civic pride and environmental responsibility. Communities across Canada compete in this friendly competition and the PHS has plans to enhance and sustain the visual appeal of neighbourhoods in Brant.

Members are encouraged to plant pollinator friendly gardens, native species and to focus on the colour orange (the official theme colour) for as many plants as possible. This will be the theme for the society’s public plantings at the Paris Cenotaph, the Garden of Hope and at the Paris Fairgrounds.

Another sure sign of spring is the Horticultural Society’s annual Plant Sale, taking place this year on Saturday, May 11th from 8 am to 11 am There will be a variety of perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, veggies, native plants and herbs. There will be a Children’s Corner, coffee and muffins and a plant auction from 11-12. If you have any questions about the sale, call Carol at 519-442-3918 or Nancy at 519-752-8702 and they’d be happy to provide more details.

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The next big-ticket item on the PHS agenda is the Annual Garden Tour, scheduled on June 1st and 2nd from 10 am to 4pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Sobeys, Walter’s Greenhouses and Paris Home Hardware on Rest Acres Road or at any of the gardens on tour. There are five beautiful gardens around the Paris area to visit this year Tickets are $15, which includes live musicians and local artists performing at each of the garden stops. Watch for more details to come closer to the event and again any questions can be directed to Anne at 905-5362037.

Proceeds from events like the Plant Sale and Garden Tour go back to the Paris Horticultural Society to fund guest speakers at their monthly meetings, an educational bursary for a local school and for greenery to plant around the Brant communities So, make sure you get out to support the society who does a tremendous amount of work to ensure Paris remains the prettiest town in Canada!

The group’s also excited to be a part of the Spring Senior’s Expo at Cedarview Church from 9 am to 2 pm on Tuesday, April 8th . Brochures, bookmarks, Plant Sale, and Garden Tour posters will be available. Come out and chat will some friendly members of the society.

The PHS has 85 active members, and the door is always open for new members to join!

Group of local musicians perform as visits tour gardens during the 2023 Paris Horticultural Society’s Garden Tour. This year’s event will be held June 1-2.

Food Bank thrilled with Kiwanis Club’s successful Food Drive in Burford

The Kiwanis Club of Paris-Brant is always incredibly grateful for the community’s support of their regular food drive around town The club collects numerous times throughout the year with donations supporting area Food Banks. At the end of March, the Kiwanis Club of Paris- Brant visited over 180 homes in three neighbourhoods in Burford The Burford Community Food Bank was thrilled with the sizeable donation. A special thank you goes out to the generous residents on Weir, Cedar, Broadview, Meadow and Minshall, John, Lorne, George, James, Coates, Potter, Brown, and Delarine Streets as well as Westside Village town homes