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Sooke Garden Club looks forward to a year of growing

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or curious about gardening, you will find a community of interest at the Sooke Garden Club.
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Sooke Garden Club 2015 Parlour Show Award Winners

By Loretta Fritz

If ever you needed another good reason to grow some of your own food, a quick walk through the produce section of any grocery store today provides it. Yikes!

Knowing that the price of fruits and vegetables is expected to continue its upswing, I’m doing a bit of serious thinking about what changes I can or should make to get the most out of the available growing space.

This, however, will probably necessitate more self-discipline, attention, and efficiency when it comes to preparing the soil, starting seeds, transplanting out, watering, harvesting and preserving. So much to do, so little time … and life will undoubtedly unfold in unexpected ways and completely upend my good intentions.

Granted, serious gardening is serious work, but it certainly doesn’t have to be onerous. Edible plants can be grown in anything from balcony pots/containers to large in-ground beds.

Few things taste better to me than freshly picked herbs and greens. With seeds so inexpensive and the plants so easy to manage, the results are seldom disappointing.

Many gardeners don’t grow food at all. They focus instead on cultivating ornamental plants. Some create stunning tapestries through landscaping, others restrict themselves to containers, and many do a bit of both.

In short, gardening can be as much or as little as anyone wants it to be. It can be work, it can be a hobby, it can be therapy … or it can just be something that is done in whatever capacity for whatever reason and without putting a label on it.

Whether you are a seasoned West Coast gardener, a recently-arrived-on-the-West Coast gardener, or someone simply curious about gardening and horticulture, you will find a community of interest at the Sooke Garden Club.

January marks the start of the club’s year, so it’s the ideal time to become a member. Join us Wednesday (Jan. 27), 7 p.m., at St. Rose of Lima Church on Townsend Road. Annual fee: $15. Questions? Visit our website at sookegardenclub.ca or email sooke.gardenclub@yahoo.ca.

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Submitted by Sooke Garden Club.