It happens just once a year, so if you miss it this Saturday you'll have to wait twelve months for it to come around again.
"It" is Seedy Saturday, the all-in-one, grow-your-own gardening symposium that not only gives your green thumb some added sustainability but also acts as the unofficial launch of spring.
And tomorrow, starting at 10 a.m. at the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence at Okanagan College, the 2020 edition kicks off. It'll end four hours later at 2 p.m., but not before hundreds of locals have flowed through to take in all that it offers.
This journalist intends to be one of them. As the owner of a property where a rather prominent section is too steep for the planting and mowing of grass, I'm looking for a way to sensibly deal with it.
The likely candidates would need to put out a wide, deep system of roots to control erosion, and must be drought tolerant as the area is fully exposed to the sun and drains rapidly. Preferential treatment will be given to plants that are native to the South Okanagan.
Alice Strohmaier of Seedy Saturday host Incredible Edible Penticton says the event will deliver a variety of solutions.
"Yes, we'll have all kinds of gardeners, seed companies, farm companies, and more, all there to answer most any questions," she said yesterday.
"Better still, it's all local. Lots of organic and heritage seeds. Local organic farmers and merchants. There'll also be a seed exchange table where people can bring in any seed they have, put them in a little envelope, and take other seeds away. The focus is sustainability."
This is the second straight year Incredible Edible has run the show, taking over last year from Seedy Saturday founder Laurel Burnham. But Burnham, who has since passed away, will continue to play a role.
"Laurel was a big supporter of Seeds of Diversity," said Strohmaier, "an organization that's promoted Seedy Saturdays across the province and encourages the cultivation of heirloom and endangered varieties. So we'll have a donation box at the entry for donations to Seeds of Diversity in Laurel's name."
But the big draw for many will undoubtedly be Saturday's speakers.
"We have four speakers lined up," said Strohmaier. "We have Candace Moon from Stellar Ground who'll speak on planting and harvesting by the moon phases, Chris Matheson from the Grist Mill who'll talk about the wonder of heritage seeds, Eva Durance from First Things First who'll talk about the basic principles of xeriscaping, and Ella Braden of our board who'll talk about fruit tree pruning and training."
Admission to the only Penticton Seedy Saturday of 2020 is by donation at the door. For more information, check out Incredible Edible's Facebook page.
