The countdown to Orleans Blooms is on!

(Orléans, Ontario) The Kin Club of Orléans wants to see you at their second Spring plant sale and event, Orléans Blooms. This year’s event is being held on Sunday, May 18 in the Orléans Town Centre, just in time for the Spring planting season. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - rain or shine. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. Proceeds from the plant sale will go towards community projects in the Orléans area. There will be a variety of premium and unique garden plants for sale, supplied by Peter Knippels Garden Centre and Belgian Acres Farms. 

 “Once again we’ve sourced some unique varieties of flowering plants that will add something fun to your gardening plans for this year,” explains the Club President, Kathy Trim. “We’ve got some favourites, but we’ve also got a limited supply of unusual plants that you might not find elsewhere. This year we’ve also added some heritage vegetables and herbs.”

The event will also feature gardening advice and info, for those who want to learn more about how to green their world. Local crafters and artists will be showing off their work, which will also be for sale, and there will be a fun educational corner and giveaway for kids who want to get started in gardening. There are draws for some great door prizes. Major sponsors for this year are Orléans Home Hardware and the Heart of Orléans.

For more information about Orleans Blooms, contact Katharine Trim @ info@kincluborleans.ca, or call 613-601-7123. Or to find out more kincluboforleans.ca.

Here are some of the fun things you can do at Orleans Blooms this year:

The stars of the show are the plants. We have some unique plants, like Gomphrena and Parrot’s Beak. There’s the classics, like Lantana, African Daisies and Dipladenia, among many others. You can pick up a wonderful basket for your deck or patio. And new this year are heritage tomatoes and a selection of popular herbs. Our plants are sourced from Canadian growers.

We’re excited to announce that The Hot Pepper Lady will be joining us with her selection of culturally significant produce, like hot peppers and basil varieties, as well as her hot sauces and rubs.

Kids can sit down and learn to plant with our volunteers. We have giveaways for kids, including seeds and potting essentials from our major sponsor, Orléans Home Hardware.  There’s also a great toy surprise from LDB Duel.

We have some neat prizes too! You can enter the draw for gift certificates from Lee Valley, Bergeron Gardens and other fun stuff.

While you are here, you can learn more about the Kin Club of Orléans, the All-Canadian service club that is organizing this event. We are part of the network of service clubs that work across Canada, called Kin Canada. This event is a major fund-raiser for our Club. Last year we supported the Cystic Fibrosis Canada, the Orleans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre and the Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Ottawa, among others.

Spring tips for a successful garden, courtesy of Peter Knippels Garden Centre.

Be careful! Let your garden wake up slowly. You can damage plants that are still frozen.

Cut back grasses and other perennials.

Top dress, overseed and fertilize your lawn.

Clean, disinfect and sharpen your gardening tools. Dull tools can damage plants.

Fertilize your existing gardens.

Be patient with evergreen plants, they only start to grow in June, winter browning should be gone once new growth occurs.