Planting seeds for a good cause

Jun 04, 2014

Now in its sixth year, the annual Grandmothers-by -the-Lake plant and bake sale attracts such a sizable crowd of shoppers that organizers have to guard the goods (especially the green ones) from over zealous shoppers prior to the 10am start time. Those in the know know that the sale is a great opportunity to purchase both delicious home-made baked goods and plants of all kinds. For gardeners, the sale is great opportunity to peruse and purchase a wide array of vegetables, herbs, perennials and annuals, special plants for pollinators like moths and butterflies, house plants and more - all for a fraction of the normal cost while supporting the local branch of the Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmother to Grandmothers Campaign.

The campaign, which operates across the country, invites concerned Canadians to raise money for the thousands of African grandmothers who are doing all they can to support the countless children left orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Susan Howlett, who organizes the plant portion of the sale, said that the sale has been gaining in popularity over the years so much that some members of the group now grow their own plants to sell. “This year we definitely have more plants for sale than in other years, knowing how popular the sale has become,” Howlett said. She grew all of her plants herself from seed. Howlett said she likes to see people especially purchasing vegetables and believes its important for people to grow their own food. Cardboard boxes were on hand for those making multiple purchases and large lines formed shortly after the sale began.

The sale takes place every year at the Tiffany Gift Shop in Harrowsmith. It is usually the group’s biggest fundraiser, but this year their fundraiser featuring popular gardening guru Ed Lawrence, which took place in April in Verona, surpassed the plant and bake sale.

The Grandmothers-by-the-Lake group was founded by Carol Southall in 2007 and today has upwards of 25 members. Anyone interested in finding out more about the group and the work they do can visit grandmotherscampaign.org