Since they can’t open their gardens to the public this year, the Advertiser has invited local horticultural societies to write about what’s going on in their gardens. For questions or to submit articles, email jshuttleworth@wellingtonadvertiser.com
FERGUS – The diggers are back.
These are not the four legged kind. This is the army of volunteers in purple shirts, all members of the Fergus and District Horticultural Society that are back working in the public gardens in Fergus.
“We have not been able to do anything because of COVID-19, so there is a lot to do to get these gardens beautiful again,” said Doreen Telford, one of the key members of the group.
The Diggers (officially Diggin’ in the Dirt) as they are called look after over 30 gardens in Fergus. They select the flowers, the colours, placement of all the plants and the overall garden designs. They also look after perennials, the trees and handle anything that needs replacing or changing.
Every Tuesday you can find them planting, mulching, weeding, dead-heading, pruning, watering – in fact, anything the gardens need.
They have been making Fergus beautiful since the town was founded. “Our records show work being done as far back as 1878,” said Roberta Vlietstra, one of the past presidents.
The horticulture society was founded by Adam Fergusson (founder of Fergus) in 1857.
“In 1929 (the club) planted 1,000 daffodils behind the library along the bank of the Grand River. Back then there was no dam in Belwood. The river was sometimes a raging, uncontrolled torrent of water that overflowed the banks regularly. The flood that year took all our daffodils downstream and I understand Brantford thanked us for all the daffodils along their banks the following year,” said Vlietstra.
In 1998, thanks to the Diggin in the Dirt volunteers, Fergus was an Ontario Award winner of Communities in Bloom, an organization that honours excellence in beautification, heritage and environmental awareness.
The following year Fergus enrolled in the national competition and won the National Award against all competing communities across the country.
The horticultural society sets high standards and the citizens and visitors enjoy the fruits of their efforts with all the unique flowers and beautiful colours in gardens all over town.
“We love what we do,” said Betty Knight, one of the Diggers. “It’s our way of giving back. It’s all about making our home a little better, a little more inviting, a little more memorable and enjoyable.”
If you are driving through town on a Tuesday morning and see some of the volunteers in purple shirts, honk your horn or roll down your window and say thanks for the job they do. They will appreciate it.
Ken Johnston has been a member of the Fergus and District Horticultural Society member for four years, a digger and board member for three years, committee chair for the Grand Gardens of Fergus program and chair of the media committee.