The Canadian Garden Council has declared 2022 as Canada’s Year of the Garden! Held on the centennial of Canada’s ornamental horticulture sector (the formation of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association), Canada is the first country in the world to hold a year-long event to commemorate, celebrate, and inspire gardening. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved: from horticultural businesses, organizations, and societies, to community and school groups, to individual gardeners. I am delighted to be selected as a Garden Ambassador to help get the word out about the festivities!

Many events are planned to help promote and celebrate the Year of the Garden. The Council’s website is full of information and how every gardener (or aspiring gardener) in Canada can participate (and you can sign up for their e-newsletter as well). One of the things I am doing this year to celebrate is to participate in a grow-out project through Seeds of Diversity. In order to bolster the inventory in their seed library, Seeds of Diversity encourages its members to register (the next open period will be in early 2023), then grow out rare and/or locally-adapted plants to save their seeds. The seeds are then submitted to the library and shared with other members to continue the process. My plan is to grow out some wild arugula (Diplotaxis tenuifolia). This member of the mustard family is a fast-growing crop that should be easy to bring to seed; we shall see what pans out! You don’t have to participate in a seed-saving group to do a similar project on your own – you can grow out any open pollinated seeds from your garden. Select a crop (or several), have fun growing it, and save the seeds to share with gardeners in your community next year!

Whether your garden is small or large, there are many ways to contribute in the Year of the Garden festivities and have fun! In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more of the projects I am undertaking to celebrate the Year of the Garden in my own garden. If you’re a Canadian gardener, do you have any celebratory plans for your own garden or in your community?