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Hope gardens brighten three areas of NOTL

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Communities in Bloom Committee is partnering with the Horticultural Society, the Niagara Pumphouse and the McFarland House for a new Hope Garden initiative.

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Communities in Bloom Committee is partnering with the Horticultural Society, the Niagara Pumphouse and the McFarland House for a new Hope Garden initiative.

Communities in Bloom has encouraged local committees and partners to create bright yellow gardens across Canada for 2021, says local committee chair Vicky Downes.

Volunteers have been busy planting anything yellow in three Niagara-on-the-Lake areas: at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, McFarland House, and the William Nassau Park, featuring yellow flowers such as sunflowers, black-eyed Susans and chrysanthemums.

There are many gardeners around town eager to volunteer in support of gardens, says Downes, and they’ve embraced this initiative with enthusiasm, creating magnificent gardens, with more yellow blooms to come — the intention is to create seas of yellow. Some seeds have just been planted, and will bloom yellow in weeks to come.

The National CIB has suggested planting flowers, fruits, vegetables or shrubs — anything with yellow, the international colour of hope, says Downes.

She refers to a quote from Desmond Tutu, included in the request from CIB to plant seeds of hope in 2021: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness. Hope whispers that things will get better.”

The campaign represents “hope for us, and hope for the world in 2021. So many people are turning to gardening, and learning how to create and grow their own food supply.”

The surge in gardening during the pandemic has spurred The National Communities In Bloom to invite local committees to join in planting seeds of hope,
she says.

If there are others in town who want to join the campaign, she adds, “we would welcome their
contact.”