Castlegar’s Communities in Bloom has not gone dormant over the winter.
The group is planning an open house on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Castlegar Community Complex.
The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and feature guest speaker Geraldine Kildow, owner of North Field Farm in Ferndale, Washington which grows over 200 varieties of peonies, 64 of which are for the cut flower market.
Kildow’s motto is: “Every garden is worthy of at least one peony,” and her favourite saying is: “The oxen is slow but the earth is patient.”
At 10 a.m. Kildow will be giving a talk titled Four Seasons of the Peony.
At 11:15 a.m. local peony grower Adriana Work will speak about how to get seven weeks of peony bloom. Work runs Dutch Girl Peonies in Beasley.
Between noon and 1 p.m., guests are invited to visit displays and participate in a book swap. Bring your books or magazines that are related to gardening, the food chain, conservation or local history to share.
Also at noon, Janice Ferraro will present a workshop on succulent container gardens.
At 1 p.m. Kildow will give a talk titled Peonies in a Vase and in the Landscape.
At 2 p.m. Chris Murphy from the City of Castlegar will present The Art of Xeriscape.
More information can be found at castlegarpeony.com or by contacting Communities in Bloom organizer Darlene Kawlawsky at darlene@kalawsky.com.