Watch above: According to local gardening experts, the last decade has seen a big spike in aspiring green thumbs in Saskatchewan. Amber Rockliffe looks at why people are returning to their roots.
SASKATOON – According to Saskatchewan gardening experts, there has been a big spike in aspiring green thumbs over the last decade.
People cultivating the land and ‘growing’ their way into prosperity is an integral part of Saskatchewan’s history; however, eventually many people were enticed away from the land into supermarkets, according to Susan Kuzma, one of the central organizers of this year’s Gardenscape exhibition at Prairieland Park.
“We’ve found that there’s a generation of young people that have missed the teaching side from their parents,” Kuzma explained.
“Their grandparents may be gardened, but their parents didn’t.”
Vanessa Young, a coordinator with the University of Saskatchewan’s master gardening program, also said gardening is making a big comeback.
“People are coming back to their roots again. You have the local food movements, you have the organic gardening,” said Young.
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Hundreds of aspiring gardeners flocked to the Gardenscape exhibition over the weekend, soaking in tips and tricks from the experts.
“We have an area called ‘Gardening 101’, where patrons can come and actually learn the basics of planting a vegetable garden,” Kuzma explained.
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Ellen Sawchuk, a U of S fruit program research technician, says there are misconceptions about what can and can’t be grown in Saskatchewan.
“Even though it’s really cold here most of the year, you can grow a lot of things. One of the big things people are surprised about is grapes, they don’t realize you can grow grapes here,” Sawchuk explained.
As for planting tips, Young has two words: mulch and compost.
“Mulch will provide a habitat for ladybugs. You start to build a little ecosystem in there, and the ladybugs will eat all the other bad bugs that are coming to snack on your plants,” Young explained.
She said compost provides essential nutrients for the plants and keeps them happy.
Young also said it’s important to take risks.
“I’m a master gardener, I’ve been gardening my whole life. I still kill things. If you’re not killing things, you’re not trying hard enough.”
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