2019 in Review

Each year in the Garden brings new challenges and new rewards and last year was no different. Although our proximity to Georgian Bay affects our climate in a consistent way (a slow start to spring but a first frost that can be a few weeks later than in Muskoka) we are starting to experience climate change in ways that have been predicted by climate scientists for the northeast part of North America. That is: cold, wet spring, longer periods of heat and drought in summer and drastic temperature swings in winter that bring a mix of bitter cold, rain and freezing rain in a two week period.

Despite that, there were moments of exquisite beauty in the Garden in 2019 starting in February, once the January rains were behind us.

We tell people that the climb up the Tower is always with it and it can be chilly up there in winter but on a cold, still morning the view is something special.

All good things come to those who wait, and by the end of April we embarked on a new season with an enthusiastic team of well rested gardeners and some new volunteers.

In late April the only colour in the Garden is the Gardeners’ jackets!

Before long the raking was done, the grass was green, there were daffodils and dandelions blooming and it was time to embark on a few projects. We had all agreed that the new grass bed could have been twice as big, so we went even bigger, divided the grasses that were already there and added drought tolerant perennials and annuals.

We try not to waste any resources, so all the bits of sod we dug up were transplanted to a spot by the road that is in pretty bad shape every spring.

People do love flowers and usually think there is not enough “colour” in the Garden. This year the Town of Parry Sound sponsored the purchase of annuals, which we planted where we thought they would be most noticeable.

Of course we had a cold snap as soon as they were planted and they pouted for a few weeks, but before long the dandelions were finished and the parade of summer blooms commenced with lilacs and iris.

Our lilac collection is maturing and we are starting to have an impressive show.

It was almost the end of June when we received our spring plant order.

It’s “all hands on deck” on the day it arrives, getting the plants unloaded, sorted and planted …

… and this year we had some extra hands we didn’t expect that day. The Town of Parry Sound has been promoting Wednesday Gardening at Tower Hill as a recreational activity and it is listed under “Today’s Events” on the parry sound.com website. This young couple was in Parry Sound on their honeymoon and thought it sounded like fun! They had never planted anything before but they were quick learners and we enjoyed having them.

With an increase in the size of our group, we have been able to expand our boundaries and create some garden beds for the Museum.

No longer do visitors trudge up the ramp from the parking lot to the Museum; now they stroll along a garden path through a woodland garden.

No sooner did we get those plants in the ground when summer arrived in all its glory.

The annuals perked up in the sunny warmth and before long we spotted our first monarch butterflies.

It was a good summer for day lilies.

and our enlarged bed of ornamental grasses, drought tolerant perennials and zinnias was really thriving

And then suddenly … drought.

Before long this …

looked like this …

… and we spent the rest of the summer doing this.

But the Garden has never looked so good. Having a bigger team of volunteers meant that we were able to stay ahead of the deadheading and edging and the Town staff kept the lawns mowed and trimmed and tidy all summer long. Having the annuals there also made a huge difference and they lasted well into fall.

But all good things come to an end, and Gardeners need a rest season; especially volunteer Gardeners. We called it quits after planting our new peony bed on a cold rainy day in mid-October,

and then wrapped up our year the way we usually do.