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Blog: Save the Date-Ladner Seedy Saturday is Coming!

It's been a busy November as I work on Ladner Seedy Saturday, write a book and watch my grandchildren. Throw in a bit of elder care and days are flying by. It’s almost the holiday season and I am not ready.
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It's been a busy November as I work on Ladner Seedy Saturday, write a book and watch my grandchildren. Throw in a  bit of elder care and days are flying by. It’s almost  the holiday season and I am not ready.  You are probably wondering what is a Seedy Saturday? Seedy Saturdays are held in communities all across Canada to celebrate the start of a new garden season and to encourage people to use seeds. The seeds offered at this event are from small-scale seed growers. It’s important that we support small businesses like this so we have a diverse variety of seeds to choose from. Did you know there are literally hundreds and hundreds of tomato varieties? There are so many unique seeds a gardener could grow something different each year.

 

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The Ladner Seedy Saturday is going into its fifth year. Have you been? It’s on February 20, 2016 but planning started last month. Yes, it takes about six months to plantplan an event. Above you can see that we have a seed swap each year. Our volunteers will let you bring in packaged and labeled seeds to trade for something new. Perhaps you didn’t like leeks last year and have seed left over. Tape the package shut and bring it to us to trade. If you don’t have seed to trade you can donate towards the community garden for a package of seed. You see this event is a fundraiser for the Ladner Community Garden. Last year we were able to take the money you donated at the door and donate to four school gardens in Ladner plus give towards a student scholarship in horticulture. We love giving back to the community.

 

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So what happens at Ladner Seedy Saturday? We have an array of seed vendors to help you chose your seeds. Start thinking now about what you want to grow next year.

 

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Westham Island Herb Farm came to the event  and had a good selection of seed potatoes for the vegetable garden. Here on the west coast they can be planted in mid March so you have early potatoes in June.

 

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It’s not just seeds at Ladner Seedy Saturday. We also have a few plant vendors coming as well. Nothing beats the winter blues than seeing fresh plants for your garden.

 

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Seeds, seeds and more seeds. You will be overwhelmed at what is being sold at Seedy Saturday. If you look at the back of this photo, a vendor even had tomato plants for sale in February. That’s good if you have a greenhouse.

 

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Last February Robyn Leake from Wild Ginger Designs came to the event. You may recognize Robyn from the Ladner Village Market. She creates the most amazing container gardens!

 

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Rupert from Salt Spring Seeds had his table of heirloom seeds. At Salt Spring Seeds they let gardeners grow for a seed sanctuary that they run. What a great idea!

 

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One of our seed growers, David Catzel, attended from BC Seed Co-op. David will be giving us a seed saving workshop in 2016. I look forward to hearing him talk.

 

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Yes, plants and more plants. This looks like sweet peas which are planted in February. They are a cool season flower and need to get in the ground early.

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Setting up for the big day is always plenty of work. It couldn’t be possible without the wonderful volunteers from the Ladner Community Garden and the staff at the Corporation of Delta. Here we are almost ready to open the doors to the public. Doors open at 10am and close at 4pm. Admission is by donation.

 

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The Harris barn is the perfect setting for a Seedy Saturday. This historic barn has two floors, the lower one for vendors and the upper floor for presentations. There is even an elevator for those who need it.

 

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For me its all about learning something new about gardening. Our guest speakers will have lots of information on whats coming up for the gardening season. Here you will be able to ask your garden questions and get answers from the experts.

So save the date: February 20, 2016 at the Harris Barn at Kirkland House, 4140 Arthur Drive in Ladner. Open from 10:00am-4:00pm. Admission is by donation.