Flora Borealis - July, 1989

Excerpts from SPS Newsletter Volume 2, Number 4 - edited by Ted Christensen

Summer is here, and with summer comes the annual round of hort shows. The spring flowers - early bulbs, irises, and peonies - have been neglected as far as flower shows go, locally. Perhaps the SPS will be able to fill this gap in the future.

Yorkton kicks off the season in this province with their Rose, Lily, and Perennial show on July 18th and 19th. This year the Canadian Prairie Lily Society is holding their provincial lily show in conjunction with this Yorkton show.

The Saskatchewan Horticultural Society (SHS) is going to Canora for their provincial show on August 21st and 22nd. There will be entries from all over the province in the traditional August classes - cut flowers, Dahlias, sweet peas, glads, roses, floral art, vegetables, and fruit - plus a show of garden photographs.

August is the month most hort societies, plus many ag societies, hold their shows. It just makes sense, this is the time of year when there is the maximum amount of garden material available in show condition. Elsewhere in this issue we'll list those shows we have dates for. Local people will note the dates for the Saskatoon Horticultural Society at the Travelodge, August 15th and 16th. This is the longest running (77th year) and probably the largest show in Saskatchewan.

Then there is Hort Week at the University of Saskatchewan from July 24th to 28th. Fourteen courses on a wide range of garden-related subjects are offered. Phone 966-5551 for a detailed brochure and registration form. This is the fourth annual Hort Week, it seems increasingly popular.

Looking over the membership list, it's encouraging to see that over 20% of our members are from outside of the Saskatoon area. After all, we are billing ourselves as a province-wide organization! These out-of-town members are pretty well all over the map - Moosomin, Regina, Parkside, Indian Head, Kinistino, Allan, Lampman, Strasbourg, Churchbridge, Unity, Carrot River, Prince Albert, Prairie River, even Coronation and Fort McMurray Alberta.

With so many members living far enough away that they can rarely, if ever, take part in activities in Saskatoon; it seems to me that we need to consider ways in which we can make the SPS more meaningful to them. Local programs are difficult to share with those who can't attend in person; but perhaps we should be working out ways to make it easier for members at a distance to order sale plants or bulbs by mail. Participating in group orders should be simple enough, by phone or by mail.

Some members, myself included, travel around the province quite a bit, so don't be surprised if I turn up on your doorstep sooner or later. And, when any out-of-town members get to Saskatoon, feel free to call any of us brave enough to have our phone numbers listed in this mag. What's the use of belonging to the SPS if you don't get to know the other members? Also (brace yourself for the usual editorial pitch) all members, everywhere, are invited to write for Flora Borealis.

Ted

We would like to thank all the people who took the time to submit drawings and ideas for the Society logo. The logo that was adopted was provided by Colin Davis, a graphic designer from the art department at The Marketing Den. Colin's awareness of our society's interests and needs has been creatively expressed through his rendering. The design symbolizes the involvement of people represented in the flower petals or arms reaching up to the arching border or rather the sun. The leaves rising up from the soil suggest growth, vegetative, yes, but perhaps growth of a society and the individuals participating, growth of friendship and knowledge all resulting from a sharing as well as a caring for those precious beauties around us.