Hamilton it’s time again to share, smile and show off those gardens
We're back!
We - as in Hamilton Spectator Open Garden Week - will happen again this summer after a two-year pandemic hiatus. This event, annual until 2020, will run from Sunday, June 26 to Tuesday July 5.
We want you - and, of course, your garden - to be part of it. That's especially the case if you are one of the thousands of people in this area who took up gardening during the pandemic shutdowns.
Of course we want visitors - lots of visitors - to the gardens that will be open for Open Garden Week 2022. But, we also want hosts" - lots of hosts - who will open their garden to visitors for a few hours or a few days.
Don't think that because you're a newbie gardener or your garden is just a year or two old that Open Garden Week is not for you. Open Garden Week is very much about sharing - garden stories, garden tips and advice, garden plants. For everyone who thinks they're new at gardening, there's someone else who wants to learn from your experience. Share your stories about how you got started, where you found great plants, your gardening disasters (we've all had them). Growing vegetables, fruits or herbs? Show it off. Visitors are eager to see what edibles other people are growing.
Here are the basics of Open Garden Week: We pick the dates. You pick the days and hours you are willing to open your garden to visitors. You send the information to me, I compile it into easy-to-follow listings. The Spectator publishes those listings, in the paper and online, in the days shortly before Open Garden Week begins. Visitors show up at the posted times, admire your garden, say nice things about it, and everyone is happy. It's that simple. No charge, no tickets, no tour schedule to stick to.
Quick history: Open Garden Week began in 1993 with six gardens open to visitors. It doubled each year for the next several years, at one point with more than 100 gardens open from Niagara Falls to Oakville, from the shores of Lake Erie to the waterfront of Hamilton. It's become a big deal to many hosts and visitors.
Opening your garden for the first time to visitors can be intimidating. But, the reality is that people come to admire, to share, to thank you for your generosity. Every garden is a work in progress, but visitors are invariably grateful. This is a completely free event, so there are no expectations: If a visitor doesn't care for a garden, so what? It didn't cost them anything.
If you're planning on opening your garden - being a host - for the first time, here are a few tips:
- Weekend days are the busiest. You could have several hundred people go through your garden if you're open all day on a Sunday. Weekdays and evenings are quieter.
- You may be up on your feet identifying plants and answering questions for most of the time you're open. Pace yourself. Sometimes, opening for two or three hours on two or three days is easier than opening for an entire day.
- You are NOT expected to provide washrooms or telephones to visitors. That's what doughnut shops and cellphones are for. Pets are often stressed by visitors coming and going, so think about letting Fido or Garfield spend the time in the house.
- Try to talk a neighbour or two (or three) into joining you in opening their garden. Clusters of open gardens that are open at the same times attract more visitors, especially those who like to walk or bike between gardens.
We'll announce a deadline for Open Garden Week submissions shortly. But, if you want to get a head start on participating by opening your garden, send me the following information (in the order specified, please:
- The date(s) and hours your garden will be open (example: July 3, 4 to 6 p.m.; July 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
- Address (with directions if outside urban area)
- Name(s) of garden owners
- A short (no more than 25 words) description of your garden: points of interest, unusual plants, water or other features, etc.
- A phone number by which the listing can be verified. (It will not be published.)
- Email that to me at gardenwriterrob@gmail.com
Rob Howard lives and gardens in Hamilton. He has organized Hamilton Spectator Open Garden Week since 1993.