Year Of The Garden
Authour: Judy Jaeger
What is the Year of the Garden 2022? As I understand it, establishing a Year of the Garden was initiated by the Canadian Garden Council pre-pandemic, but for obvious reasons was not pursued during 2020. In 2021 the Council proclaimed 2022 as Year of the Garden because:
- 2022 is the Centennial Anniversary of the Ornamental Horticultural sector in Canada
- during the pandemic the interest in gardening surged across the country
- 30% more Canadians started gardening, whether growing ornamentals or food
- numerous studies have reinforced the positive benefits of gardening on physical, spiritual and mental health of Canadians Oshawa Garden Club is planning
- a Junior Gardeners’ program in conjunction with our local Libraries
- a celebration of National Garden Day on June 18th
- a community recognition program – We Love Your Garden
- We are considering a process to nominate a local garden hero – thoughts?
What else is being done to celebrate the Year of the Garden 2022? In addition to a proclamation by the Federal government, many cities across the country have joined in by proclaiming their city, a garden friendly city. I made a presentation to the Oshawa Community Services Committee and Council in December 2021 asking for a proclamation for Oshawa and offered suggestions to promote a garden friendly city. I received a positive response and we are awaiting a decision. Why Plant Red? Canadians were asked to consider planting yellow flowers last year, as a sign of hope. This year, plant red is to acknowledge the lives lost during the pandemic and the contribution of essential workers. Red is Canada’s colour and planting red is a celebration of our Canadian pride. The expectation is not that everyone will have a fully red garden but that Canadians will participate by adding some red flowers, shrubs or vegetables.
I encourage everyone to get involved, join the fun and live the garden life!
