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6 Friday, October 20, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com It's been one strange year in the garden. For instance, the other day I picked a ripe tomato with more ripening on that vine. Every year I plant a large trellis with a mixture of pole beans and morning glories. We ate plenty of beans in late summer but the morning glories were nowhere to be seen. While the last of the beans were recently drying out, there was an odd growth spurt and we've been enjoying the brilliant blue flowers of the morning glories ever since. Where did they spend the summer? Blooming rose Adjacent to that trellis is a rose bush. It's been there for a few years and never really done much. But this summer it bloomed and it now has several canes taller than me as it continues to be covered with large deep apricot blooms. It is unmistakably a David Austin rose, though I have no idea what variety. The tag is long gone. But since it's been unspectacular for a few years, I really didn't care. The long wet summer is clearly what it needed. In the future, I will be more diligent about giving it an adequate water supply. The cool season vegetable crops I planted in sub irrigation containers in early September have proven they can also be happy in a late heat wave. We've had amazing growth and delicious results. We've finished all the kohl rabi, half the pak choi and ate the first of the Chinese (Napa) cabbage. During the summer's bounty we do have to keep an eye on the calendar. There was a sharp taste of real autumn weather last week reminding us to take care of those necessary chores before we wake up to that fluffy white stuff. Prep the snowblower Now, with the lawnmower out of the shed, I need to pull out the snow-blower to be sure it's in good working order. It's so much easier to work on it now than on a cold dark winter morning when I need it running. Difficult concept for an inveterate procrastinator, but I'm working on it. That saves the best for last. I've just planted my spring garden: tulips, in their amazing array of colours; narcissus in large drifts glowing like drops of sunshine on cool damp days; those first crocus poking their bright colours through the snow; and even earlier, the little white snowdrops blooming at the receding edge of old snowdrifts. On crisp autumn days, tucking a handful of smooth shiny bulbs into the soil is one of my favourite fall activities. I love running my hands through those bulbs sitting in their boxes. They're such a promise of wonderful things to contemplate through the dark winter days. Go to the garden centre and be dazzled by the wide array of wonderful bulbs. Read the labels, particularly the parts that tell you about their bloom times. With careful planning, you can have weeks of bloom in the spring. Plant several in the same garden so that the later types will emerge and change the garden's colour and texture as the earlier ones finish and fade. Even before your spring garden is dry enough to work in, it should be announcing that spring has arrived and that the pleasures of gardening are about to begin anew. Prepping for spring blooms Blooming in Brooklin By Ken Brown Whitby Fire and Emergency Services (WFES) is pleased to announce Lucas Parnam, a Grade 3 student at Brooklin Village Public School, as the 2017 Junior Fire Chief. Lucas was selected based on the creativity and passion he demonstrated through his contest application poster, which spoke to the importance of having working smoke alarms on every level of a home and a practiced escape plan with two exits from every room. Every Second Counts - Plan Two Ways Out is the theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week, which runs October 8 to 14. Lucas was picked up at his school in a fire truck and driven to Fire Hall 5 for a day of Junior Fire Chief training. His training included a station tour, receiving his fire gear and using equipment including hoses and extinguishers. In addition to participating in these activities, Lucas received a prize pack from WFES and Canadian Tire North, including a new bike. Lucas will be recognized by Town Council on Monday, October 30, and will also join Whitby firefighters at a number of community events, parades and ceremonies throughout the year. The Junior Fire Chief for the Year Contest is generously sponsored by Whitby McDonald's and Canadian Tire North. 2017 Whitby Junior Fire Chief Announced The Day Hollywood Came To Brooklin Empty director's chairs, but not a star in sight. Still, it was a neat day earlier this month when Hollywood dropped in to Brooklin's Oxford Learning Centre to shoot a few scenes for the spring 2018 release of the Amazon series "The Romanoffs." Oxford's Director Trisha Dosaj could only state the location had been selected a few weeks before and that, because of a non-disclosure agreement, she couldn't say another word about it. In fact, no one could. There were rumours of a couple of bonafide actor types doing their thing inside, but no one would corroborate. Surely the series will gain a viewing audience in Brooklin if only to acknowledge some of it was done here. www.brooklintowncrier.com