The latest Western Friends of the Gardens (FOG) plant sale (May 15) was a great success – lovely day, huge turnout and brisk sales.
This group, formed in 1994, has weathered a few ‘storms’ over those 18 years.
While it has had other activities such as workshops, garden visits and visiting speakers, the annual plant sale is the constant, anticipated by many, both on and off campus. Our first sale took place on a sloping, grassy area on the east side of the Biological and Geological Sciences Building (B&G Building) between where the new loading dock and the Biotron now stand. Having obtained permission to use the B&G Courtyard as a ‘nerve centre,’ that ideal spot became our plant sale venue, although during construction of the Material Sciences area, the event was held on the plot next to the lower greenhouse below the St. Mary’s Cement Rock Garden.
This will be our permanent place beginning very soon.
This move has entailed a lot of extra work for the hard-working ‘hard-core’ membership – first the digging out of all our plants from the courtyard. Most were sold; the rest, plus our tools, pots and even the sink, must be transported to our new home before the bulldozer moves in to make way for the new B&G Atrium.
The membership once included members of the public but, due to the diminishing of parking spaces, it consists mainly of people who work on campus and garden during their lunch hour.
This group is a decided asset to Western. Many other universities have botanic gardens and volunteer gardener groups attached. While not actually labeled as a botanic garden, Western has truly gorgeous surroundings with many rare specimen plants and trees growing on the campus. It’s truly worthwhile taking a guided tour.
FOGs, whose annual sales since its inception have produced nearly $60,000 in student bursaries, recently received an Award of Merit from the Faculty of Science in acknowledgement of its accomplishments.
Frances Howey
A Friend of the Gardens