YORKTON — Colourful blooms and creative floral arrangements produced by local gardeners were on exhibit Aug. 5 at the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society's annual Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Display at Parkland Mall.
The display, one of the society's signature events, gives members an opportunity to showcase what they have been growing in their gardens.
The annual event reflects the growing season, with the selection varying from year to year depending on weather conditions.
This year's featured display focuses on peppers, a crop that has become increasingly popular among gardeners.
"More and more people grow peppers, and we're always looking for something a little bit different," said society president John Tropin.
The exhibit includes several pepper varieties, from mild bell peppers to the Carolina Reaper, one of the world's hottest peppers.
The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society, which serves Yorkton and surrounding communities, also hosts plant sales in the spring and fall to help fund its activities.
Beyond special events, the organization aims to connect gardeners of all experience levels and share horticultural knowledge built over more than a century. The society meets on the third Wednesday of selected months at the Yorkton Public Library, where guest speakers discuss topics ranging from beekeeping to gardening techniques.
"If you have a gardening question, this is the place to go," Tropin said.
Membership costs $10 annually, and more information about the society and its activities is available on its website.
For longtime member Debbie Hayward, gardening is about much more than growing plants.
A member of the society for more than 40 years, Hayward said flower arranging remains one of her favourite aspects of gardening, particularly using unconventional materials such as grasses, seed heads and even vegetables.
"Some people think flower arrangements are very fussy and very formal, but really they're not," she said. "They can be seed heads, they can be grasses, they can be things you find in the ditch."
Hayward said gardening has long been a family activity for her, one she first shared with her mother and later with her husband.
She also believes gardening offers important mental and emotional benefits.
"The garden is very healing," Hayward said. "It's very good emotionally to be working among living things. It renews your energy."
After more than four decades with the horticultural society, Hayward said the appeal of gardening remains as strong as ever.
"The garden was always a wonderful family activity," she said. "It brought great pleasure and joy."
For Hayward, that's a lesson anyone can discover, whether they have a sprawling backyard or a single flower pot.
