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8 Friday, March 16, 2018brooklintowncrier.com We've almost survived the school spring break, a week that separates people and their interests. For years it was a chance to spend quality time with my brood of teenagers as we encamped to a distant ski hill. They're now taking their own offspring on similar trips and I think about joining them. Meanwhile, in the basement, there are dozens of seeds that need sowing. Can it wait till after skiing? The week's main feature has been Toronto's Canada Blooms Festival which ends on March 18 so there's still time to see it. I spent time last week organizing a meeting there of my Garden Writer's Association be- cause it's always fun to gather with people who share your work and passion. Now it's on to my spring speaking engagements. The Brooklin Horticultural Soci- ety partners with Whitby to bring you great speakers in their spring meetings. The fourth Wednesday of March, April and May will feature three great garden speakers on a variety of topics, so mark those days on your calendar and head over to the United Church for some horticul- tural inspiration. Snowdrops Back to my garden: I have snow- drops blooming and they've been there for a couple of weeks. There's a brown-coloured stone in my back garden that came home with me from Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park and the dark colour draws the sun which heats up the soil around it. That's why it's always early to have a necklace of bright white snowdrops around it before they appear anywhere else. Think about such a spot in your garden and try to remember to plant snow- drops there next fall. Wonderful displays of tulips, crocus and narcissus that are about to un- fold should remind us to plant more of those in our own gardens next September. One problem is remem- bering where you already planted some so that the next batch are placed in a different location. Much of my garden is looking par- ticularly grubby just now. The reced- ing snow leaves behind a fine collec- tion of detritus so I yearn for that first sunny warm day when I can get out- side and attack the mess. The trick, of course, is not to be too eager. Walking on your lawn or gardens when they're still wet and soft will do more damage than good. Walk softly Wait till the soil is firm enough that you don't leave a footprint every- where. Once that day arrives, then give your sad looking grass its first fertilizer application. The late fall one Of blooms and the heralding of spring Blooming in Brooklin By Ken Brown should have been the most important one. But we never quite get around to applying it, so let's compensate by being as early as possible in the spring. An early supply of nutrients is a bit like your morning cup of coffee; it wakes up the grass and gives it the energy and impetus to turn green and start growing. By the end of March, the garden centres will be filled with brightly coloured pansies. Go plant some in your planters and containers to help bring you the colour and joy of spring. They're quite cold tolerant. For years mine have been covered with a late snowfall. I just water them with warm water. That melts the snow and thaws out the frozen soil. Then they perk right up and carry on heralding spring. The Whitby in Bloom Committee, in partnership with the Brooklin Hor- ticultural Society, invites residents to take part in three free gardening seminars being offered this spring. The seminars, being held on March 28, April 25 and May 23 at the Brook- lin United Church, will contain infor- mation on gardening tips and tech- niques, container plantings and floral art - helping residents to plan and create their perfect care-free garden to grow and enjoy. The seminars will be presented by master gardeners Charlie Dobbin, Denis Flanagan and Lizzie Matheson. Residents are invited to take part in one or all of the following seminars: March 28 - Charlie Dobbin pres- ents "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" Charlie will share unique garden- ing tips and techniques, and how to choose the best specimens for your garden. April 25 - Denis Flanagan pres- ents "Shrubs & Trees for the Ur- ban Garden" Denis will share trendy garden de- sign tips and explain how to use clever container plantings and low maintenance and dwarf plants to create a colourful care-free garden. May 23 - Lizzie Matheson pres- ents "Floral Design - Tips and Tricks" Lizzie will design and answer ques- tions about three pieces of floral art. The flowers and foliage used to cre- ate the three art pieces will be given away as draw prizes at the end of the seminar. Each gardening seminar begins at 7:30 p.m. and will take place at Brooklin United Church, 19 Cassels Rd East. Space at each seminar is limited. In- terested residents are encouraged to register and reserve their spot early at whitby.ca/whitbyinbloom. In lieu of a registration fee, non-per- ishable food items will also be col- lected at each event to be donated to local food banks. Plan Your Garden With Free Seminars