Many gardeners in eastern and southern Ontario say that they like the Peterborough Garden Show because it combines a sense of local community with a pure-gardening focus. Certainly, the dedication and enthusiasm of the Peterborough volunteers were evident at the 12th annual show, which was held April 5 to 7, 2013.
The show started with snow and an ice storm that impeded travel and knocked out power. Nonetheless, there were steady crowds with an estimated 8,000 visitors attending to shop at 175 vendors as well as hear speakers and see demonstrations.
Three local groups – the Peterborough Horticultural Society, the Peterborough & Area Master Gardeners and the Northumberland Master Gardeners – co-operate in presenting the well-orchestrated show spread over two hockey pads. To manage the popularity of the show, shuttles move people between the show venue and a nearby free parking area.
As is the case with many local garden shows, proceeds go toward fundraising. The Peterborough Horticultural Society raised $141,103 for community grants and scholarships in the first 11 years of the show.
The 2014 show will be held April 11 to 13. Details will be available at www.peterboroughgardens.ca.
On the Sunday afternoon, with many vendors happy because they had sold most of their plants, I talked with a number of them who are advertisers in Garden Making. Many run online businesses or small specialty garden centres that ship across Canada.
Shows are a place where the businesses and their customers can put a face to the name. Of course, these are only a few of the vendors at the Peterborough Garden Show. Among those at the show (in alphabetical order):