It's Hartney Hort Day, 2012

Volunteers help plant one of Rick's logs.

Today was the day for one of my favorite annual events:  The Hartney Hort Fair!  For a small town, Hartney puts on an awesome Hort day!  Today was the first time Aagaard Farms has been there as a vendor: selling seed potatoes and our lotion bars and lip balms.  It was fun to sit back and enjoy all the speakers, and see gardening friends I don't see that often!

First up was Rick Wilson, an old friend I haven't seen in a while.  He did a great presentation on planting an old log or piece of driftwood.  What a great little piece of garden 'sculpture'.  He was, as always, amusing and interesting.  Even got some of the audience up to help him plant a couple of great pieces of driftwood he's collected.

Next up was Connie Lagerquist, horticulturalist with The Peace Gardens, with a Powerpoint presentation of the new and nifty plants for 2012, mostly annuals, with a few perennials and even a few veggies.  I must admit that since I left the garden centre business I don't stay 'up' on things like I used to.  We don't plant many annual flowers here, but it's always nice to see beautiful new things!

After lunch Mr Wilson was back with a great talk on hydrangeas for the Prairies Gardens.  He was followed by Bill Stilwell, awarding winning author and photographer.  He had a super talk on the subjects of his fabulous books: flora and fauna of Manitoba and where to go to see them!  I learned of some beautiful spots in Manitoba; we're definitely going and doing some eco-tourism in our back yard!

The Hartney Hort Fair always has some fabulous local vendors.  This year there was Valleyrimgirl Perennials, from just outside of Brandon, L.E.T.S. Plant Greenhouse from Medora, Manitoba and Lillian's Garden from Killarney.  Janet McBurney from Souris with Mary Kay Cosmetics was there to keep all us gardeners beautiful!  Plum Creek Soapworks of Elgin had a table that smelled wonderful with handmade goat's milk soap and assorted bath products.  Lanark Trail Greenhouse & Nursery by Reston was there as well as Springdale Greenhouse from Carroll.  There was also gorgeous jewellery from Janice McBrien of Hartney.  I scored a lovely Rada Cutlery cleaver from Clarisse, who runs the delightful Red Door Cafe in Hartney.  It's so great to see so many local small businesses getting out to offer their wares!

Hartney always puts on a great day, they get one of the biggest turnouts of any of the Spring horticultural events.  Maybe part of it is their knack for an astounding array of door prizes, raffles and silent auction items!  Maybe the fabulous array of homemade desserts with the lunch has something to do with fabulous attendance.....