September 11, 2026
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The Ripley Horticultural Society's "For Our Youth" Club held a Tuesday evening meeting, Aug. 25, at the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens in Ripley. Since the regular Saturday meeting was cancelled due to the threat of thunderstorms, the club reconvened with a small but mighty group of members eager to harvest its garden patch at the food gardens.
The club members gave a warm welcome to their newest leader, Christine Roberts, who brings her horticultural experience and passion for nature to the group.
Garden manager Olivia Haufe kicked off the meeting with a fun activity about the variety of Ontario snake species. She has a special place in her heart for all creatures, but especially snakes!
She entertained the kids with an “unravelling” activity where each child pulled a piece of yarn out of a huge ball to reveal a certain type of snake and its average length. The Grey Ratsnake won, with a growth span of up to two metres in length! The kids had fun sharing stories about snakes they’d seen while camping, hiking and even on their own properties. The club talked about the benefits of snakes in the gardens, as they provide natural pest control.
Everyone worked on a fun snake puppet craft while leader Rhonda Curran gave an overview of the evening’s schedule. First, the kids would tackle their garden patch to observe its progress, harvest the vegetables and do some maintenance. Then they would return to the Hoophouse to make a fresh tomato sauce to go with the mud-oven flatbreads Olivia was preparing.
The group enthusiastically trooped off to its own special garden plot, which was kindly donated to by the food gardens last year. There were so many fun things to see, from tiny strawberries and adorable watermelons to giant tomato plants so heavy with tomatoes they were starting to droop! Everyone pitched in to harvest the goodies.
Leader Kimberlee Lowry asked the kids what they noticed about the garden, as many of them hadn’t seen it since the May meeting. Regina remarked on all the tomatoes that were ripe at the same time, and Dylan happily cradled a watermelon. Tori and Elsa wondered where the potato plants had gone; upon further investigation, they were delighted to find the dried stalks and wasted little time in digging up a basketful.
Everyone noticed how many weeds had sprung up since the last garden work-bee in May. Kim and Christine helped identify Queen Anne’s Lace, ragweed, knapweed and foxtail grass. It’s amazing how quickly a garden can become dishevelled without weekly care! They talked about why some plants did better than others. The sunflowers received too much shade where they were planted, so were quite stunted in their growth. And the corn might have benefited from regular watering. One of the club's goals in growing its own food is to show the kids that gardening is about progress, not perfection.
Kim demonstrated how to safely use garden shears and many wanted to take a turn to cut down the taller weeds. Lots of the smaller weeds came up with a firm yank, which meant the soil was a good consistency. The club saved a little bit of the bright purple knapweed since there were so many honeybees enjoying the flowers, even though it is considered an invasive plant. Rhonda and Kim will go back and tidy up the rest of the garden in the fall so that it will be ready for the kids to prep in the spring. Club members are encouraged to continue visiting the garden to harvest, water and weed in between meetings.
The kids ran back to the Hoophouse with their harvested tomatoes, basil, watermelon and potatoes where Olivia was baking flatbreads. Rhonda and Christine got everyone organized and the tomato sauce making began! The kids mushed basil into a paste, and chopped tomatoes with scissors before crushing them with a potato masher. They carefully measured olive oil and salt, then mixed everything together for a simple and surprisingly delicious sauce. With the addition of cheese, the sauce and flatbreads made perfect little pizzas.
The kids loved watching Olivia cook their flatbreads in the huge mud oven and they asked lots of questions about the process. Olivia made enough so everyone could have seconds, and some of the kids tried volunteer-made peony jam or sea buckthorn jelly on their bread. What a treat! Thanks to Olivia for cooking and hosting, and to Diane Clifford for making the dough.
Dylan gleefully sliced open our small watermelons and they made a great dessert. Rhonda divided up the leftover tomatoes and potatoes and the club members got to take a small container home to share with their families.
As everyone enjoyed the last bites of the snack, Kim returned the exhibits from the Ontario Horticultural Association convention. There were lots of ribbons to hand out, including prize money! Rhonda’s beautiful club scrapbook won a special award and was remarked upon by the judges. Way to go, gang!
The September meeting is slated for Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to Noon, at Kim's home, to enjoy apple and corn recipes, a cool craft with Christine and a scavenger hunt activity.
Interested in volunteering as a youth leader, or having your child join the "For Our Youth" Club, contact Kim at kimberlee1072@yahoo.ca.
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