In early 2024, thanks to our generous grant funding, SOG continued the efforts begun in 2023. The third horticultural therapy bags were delivered by Rita Moore in January. Recipients were especially grateful for the book Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use. Our book club members enjoyed meeting online and discussing the books each month from January to April. Thanks to Singing Pebble Books for helping us acquire the titles-The New Farm, Two Old Women, The Sweetness of a Simple Life, and Inciting Joy. We thank Natalie Rivier for two online sessions on nutrition in February, 2024. Thanks to Anouk Mackenzie, the SOG Symposium was highly informative and successful. Participants implemented many of the techniques they learned in sessions on Microgreens, Mushrooms, Companion Gardening, and Vertical Gardening. We thank our presenters Rebecca Boyar, Robert Courteau, Judith Cox, and Rachel Gill. Once again, Pantry Plus in Orleans hosted our annual seed sale fundraiser. We are grateful to them and to Wael Itani for organizing. SOG participated in this year’s Seedy Saturday in March and at Seedling Saturday in May. Thanks to our Garden Coach, Rob Danforth, for being the onsite expert to answer gardening questions. Rob also gave a gardening information session at Cafe Amore in Orleans in April. In May, Betty and Rita once again picked up and delivered seedlings. Thanks to our growers at Slow Roots Farm and Northern Seeds.
At the end of June SOG received the great news that our grant submission was successful. We thank The Ottawa Community Foundation for supporting our programs. We plan on holding wellness sessions, delivering horticultural therapy bags, reading two books and discussing them, and delivering seeds and seedlings in 2025.
SOG’s plans for the winter programming were successful and we thank Rita Moore and Elizabeth Savoy for helping to get everything accomplished. Thirty isolated seniors received a November and a December horticultural bag delivery. Among the contents were narcissus, hyacinth, and amaryllis bulbs. Recipients told us “I wish to share my happiness when I saw these beautiful flowers with rich colours blooming in my apartment in winter.” And “I never thought a little flower could bring so much happiness!” SOG also wishes to thank Singing Pebble Books for ordering the books that the book club will discuss in 2025. We were able to purchase three books with the savings from the tax holiday.
