April showers bring May flowers: Gardening Advice

By Guest Columnist Jessica Stein

This month the Canton Garden Club had to cancel our meeting due to the tornado warnings passing through our beloved area. Though we missed each other, we were equally grateful to get rain in our gardens. And never fear dear readers! I’ve gathered advice from the Canton Garden Club leadership for summer plantings. Default authority and longtime club mentor Joy Foy says “Passalong flowers are more hardy than store bought ones. They are more likely to live and they can add value to the stories you can tell as you tour friends through your yard.” When club members have questions about our policies or history, we turn to Joy. 

Current president Susan Buttross Riddell heads our group with enthusiasm and grace. Our executives typically help set the annual schedule, manage the budget, oversee committees, and most importantly, help show gratitude to our guests and hosts. Susan adds, “Zinnias are some of the prettiest and easiest flowers to grow by seed. Plant about ¼ in deep–you don’t have to plant in rows, just scatter about. Now is the perfect time to plant them! You just need a good sunny spot and keep the soil damp until the seeds sprout. If you use mixed color seeds you can cut flowers all summer.” 

Going into the next year, Wanda Baldwin will continue the traditions of leading the club in some role. Her most expert advice: “May is a time to clear plants of dead leaves and remove old mulch.” She knows that pretty soon many perennials will be “bursting through the ground and I fertilize after breaking ground around them.” For fertilizer, the author recommends your homegrown compost, which breaks down slowly and rarely causes chemical imbalance for other plants of choice. Compost can be started in a corner away from the house in a simple pile with leaves and vegetable waste. Turned once a week, it becomes an excellent amendment in as little as six months. We hope you enjoy the excellent weather this spring and an “abundance of beautiful blooms,” as so aptly put by Mrs. Baldwin. 

Last year’s president, Kathy Ozborn, directs the club’s Keep Canton Beautiful committee with Dr. Andre Hines. The Keep Canton Beautiful chapter of Keep Mississippi Beautiful was just recognized with the Circle of Excellence Award for extensive community improvement (pictured). These efforts, including collaboration with Canton Parks and Rec director Alvin Davis, culminated in the Great Canton Cleanup of March, with participation from Jackson State University’s Public Policy students. Kathy says thank you for making our chapter one of the best in our state! 
Next month, Canton Garden members will have our summer and end-of-club-year party hosted by President Susan Buttross Riddell, featuring a group plant swap.