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16 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 7, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF TE758 Phone: 905-845-3824, ext. 248 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: angela@oakvillebeaver.com Green thumbs dig into spring plant sale olunteering, recycling, sustainable growth, breaking even -- they're not new buzz words to the St. Jude's Garden Guild where the latest buzz is about this Saturday's annual plant sale. The much-anticipated local event is set to go from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the historic church nestled at 160 William St. in the gardens that are the fruits of its garden guild's labour. "The sale signals the beginning of spring for many," said guild president and member Michael Lanning. The gardens of the church that dates to 1884 are well known to many -- those who work downtown and pop in to the quiet surroundings for lunch; neighbours who routinely stroll through the grounds and church goers who pass on their way to masses, if they don't find themselves drawn into the gardens for some occasion in the summer. It's a community garden and open to the public, said Lanning. St. Jude's Anglican Church began as a mission in 1839 in a log cabin on the bank of the Sixteen-Mile Creek. For 40 years, worship services were held in a building at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Thomas Street, before the congregation moved into the William Street church in 1884. Through the years, the church was surrounded by dandelion fields in which church picnics and sports games were held. It wasn't until the early 1980s that the church began a garden -- John Simkins, now in his 90s, planted the first flower bed when Canon Ian Dingwall launched the idea of creating a memorial garden. In 1982, parishioner Jean Mulholland established a formal, enclosed garden in memory of her late husband, Peter. The garden featured a wrought iron fence, sundial V RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER GREEN THUMBS AT WORK: St. Jude's Anglican Church Garden Guild members prepare for their annual plant sale Saturday. Digging into the job are, from left, Bob Stone, Beryl Jones and Valerie Chapman. and brickwork surrounded by flowers. The success of the garden led Mulholland and her friend Grace Irvine, along with Simkins -- all green thumbs -- to expand the effort. At a Sunday service in the spring of 1983, Mulholland invited the congregation to help and the St. Jude's Garden Guild was born. Over the years, the guild has blossomed, with new members coming aboard as others move on, seemingly in a natural progression. But the blossoming of the guild and the gardens was born of a lot of toil on the part of guild members. In the early years, members used their own tools, tore down an old fence and shed, pulled weeds -- picked up garbage, even filled in a ditch. A tradition of donating plants to the garden as memorial gifts began and the garden took root. Then, as the perennial garden that now boasts everything from tulips and peonies, to hyacinths, rhododendrons and roses, blossomed, the annual plant sale also took root. Perennials from the garden are divided at the start of the season and plants -- about 150 flats are prepared for the sale -- are sold at the sale. Donated tools and other gardening paraphernalia are also at the sale. "It's amazing what comes in, so we're recycling," said Lanning. Proceeds -- in the order of approximately $3,000 annually --are used to reimburse the church for the garden's water usage, buy tools, garden supplies and new plants. Even greater than the garden is the camaraderie and friendship that has blossomed among guild members. Every Thursday the guild's two dozen volunteers spend several hours working in the garden -- the work wrapping up with a tea and chat. While some members are retired, others who are working, specifically arrange their schedule around the "working meeting." With the assistance of member and professional gardener Stephanie Morris, the gardens continue to evolve. Lanning and past president Allan Smith, note that in recent years, St. Jude's has been assembling gardens based on colour. The white garden surrounds the chapel at which wedding ceremonies are conducted and weekday communion is held throughout the summer. There are also the blue, yellow and pink gardens -- all trimmed with a perennial border to render the grounds a classic, mixed English garden. There are dogwoods and magnolias, rhododendrons that are spectacular this month, and more. A yellow magnolia will bloom by the stained-glass window of Victory Hall, a dogwood will soon flower by the corner of the bell tower. You don't have to be an avid gardener to join the garden guild either, though some are. Lanning, a retired executive, said he has always loved gardening and Smith, a retired science co-ordinator for the Peel Board of Education, said he learned gardening from his mom. "I remember helping my mother through the war years," said Smith, noting vegetables, as well as flowers, were grown to help with feeding the family. "You don't need anything, but enthusiasm," said Lanning, admitting nothing beats the sense of pride that bursts in a garden guild member when the observation "What a lovely garden," is overheard during a service or other function throughout the course of the summer. And, as the garden's trio of founders have stepped back for others to blaze their own trail -- all are in their 90s -- Lanning and Smith look to their lead and smile, "So you see, gardening is good for you." "The garden is constantly renewing, it's a nice metaphor for the parish," said Lanning, noting the return of plants and flowers in the spring is symbolic of the old friends coming back in the garden for another season of sunshine and smiles -- and of course, another plant sale. For information contact the church at 905-844-3972 or www.stjudeschurch.net.