HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-05-10, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018.
Friends of the
Village aim for
garden overhaul
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Friends of the Village group
has an ambitious plan for Blyth
Horticultural Society Park that will
likely take the members some time
to accomplish.
The Friends of the Village was
formed following the disbandment
of the Blyth Horticultural Society in
2016 and, as society member and
Friends of the Village representative
Lissa Kolkman explains, the society
made this project possible.
"The Horticultural Society, when
they disbanded, had money in their
account that they passed over to the
Friends of the Village," she said.
"There was that money there and
there are some things the group
wanted to do. Eventually we hired a
landscape designer to do a
professional plan."
The group hired Huron
Landscaping Ltd. to prepare a plan
for the site and Kolkman said she is
excited about what the plan
represents. The project itself will be
a multi -phase endeavour that
Kolkman said the group plans to
"whittle away" at as long as they
can.
Right now, the Friends of the
Village are looking to North Huron
Council to see how the township can
be involved in the project, however
some of the planned plantings
have already occurred earlier this
month.
The next project as part of the
overall redesign of the park will be
some regular maintenance and some
changes aimed at bringing people
into the site.
"We will be tidying up the cairn
and putting a pathway into the park,"
she said. "We want to make it more
welcoming as some people have
pointed out it doesn't look like a
park you can enter."
New additions to the park include
a limestone screenings walk, a new
pavilion, panels to create different
spaces throughout the lot and a
plethora of different plants to show
off some biodiversity in the park.
Existing maple trees, tulips, lilacs
and hostas will be joined by
Canadian hemlock trees, eastern
redbuds, black cedar trees, autumn
frost hostas, annabelle hydrangeas
and several other plants.
Earlier this year, the group
presented the plan, as well as the
activities of the organization to
North Huron Council.
The group maintains more than
one dozen gardens and green spaces,
a hefty responsibility for an
organization that is all volunteers.
Group member Laura Edgar
explained, during the presentation,
that the Friends of the Village have a
diverse and active membership,
helping to keep Blyth's greenspaces
beautiful.
She said there are currently 22
members and that the group is
always growing. Their demographic
is a broad one with men and women
from almost all age brackets, some
members retired, some employed
and some with children and some
without.
Aside from the more prominent
areas of responsibility like the parks
and gardens throughout the
community, the group has also
started to maintain trails in Blyth as
well as a historical cemetery at the
northwestern corner of Blyth.
Edgar explained the group
maintains any projects outside the
scope of North Huron's budget for
park projects as well as working to
promote the knowledge of these
Continued on page 15
Community -driven
After the Blyth Hoticultural Society folded, the Friends of the Village took the group's place in
maintaining the village's green spaces. The Friends group is completely volunteer -driven by
people like Lissa Kolkman, left, and Janice Peters. (File photos)
MS 170 1 Gas Chain Saw
$1 95
MSRP $289.95
with 16" hat
30.1 cc/1.3kW/ 3.9kg(8.61br
?1 5T/HL°'- o E
I
FS 38
Gas Trimmer
$14
95
MSRP$189 95
27.2 cc/0.65kW/4.2kgi9.2Ih1"
NEW
RMA 460 1 Battery Lawn Mower i
,1"11110
w. • 18" Cutting Swath
• Onboard Storage for Additional Battery
• 3 Mowing Options: Mulch, Side Discharge, Rear Bag
• Price Includes AK 20 Battery and AL 101 Charger
BG 50
Gas Handheld Blower
si
• ON NOW!
PICK YOUR
POWER
FSA 45
Battery Trimmer
CD
$14 95
MSRP$179 95
18 V Li -Ion 2 0 Ah / 2.5 kg (5.51h)t
BGA 45
Battery Blower
95
MSRP$179.95
7995$14
MSRP$21995
27.2cc/ 0.7kW/ 3.6kg17.9Ib)**
'Weightwith powerhead only. "Weightwithoutfuel. 'Integrated battery,
18V Li -Ion 2.OAh/2.Ok04.4Ib)t
\moi $59995
MSRP
Pricing on chain saws and blowers will remain in effect until June 30, 2018. Pricing on all other powertools and accessories will remain in effect until July 31, 2018 at participating STIHL Dealers, while supplies last
IRIONInk
EQUIPMENT
Delta Power Equipment
42787 Hydro Line Road
Seaforth, ON NOM 1W0
www.deltapower.ca
1-866-527-0120
sales@deltapower.ca
0
STIHLcanada
ST/HE
www.stihl.ca