The snow is here, but members of Brandon’s Communities in Bloom Committee are thinking about spring planting! And not just them; all the other organizations and local residents who help to make the wheat city a place that explodes with colorful blossoms each summer and at most every corner!

City of Brandon Parks and Rec Coordinator, Brady Dane, says the summer garden initiatives are mostly volunteer based, who work together to plan for summer blooms. 

He adds one of the best examples of this is Coronation Park’s ‘Adopt A Bed’ Program’ … but there’s more!

"We have Brandon Garden Club, Backyard Gardeners, Bee-City Brandon," shares Dane. "We have a dozen community gardens including the Hummingbird Community Garden down on Hummingbird Ave and 26th Street for over 500 plots. We have programs that the city runs and organizations that run free programs, like the Open Garden Tour and the National Arbor Day Celebration."

"Collectively, all those things come together to be our 'community of gardeners'," he adds. "Volunteers help maintain and plan the plant displays, and then care for them throughout the season."

Dane says the Open Garden Tours will be celebrating their 24th anniversary next summer, again completely volunteer-driven that the City of Brandon helps administer.  "But it's community members who have beautiful private gardens and properties who open their doors up for a weekend as an unguided tour where you can go around and visit those spots and experience those gardens."

The collaborative efforts between all the different groups help to beautify the city.  "From the municipality to the volunteers in the community, to the organizations, and the Daly House Museum's beautiful garden addition, all those things come together to paint a broader picture of the garden community and it's all inter-connected," he says.  

Promoting the participation in the garden initiative is part of Brady Dane's position as Parks and Rec Coordinator.  "It's about getting the word out through as many different channels as we can, and obviously advertising by using our social media platforms, but also participating in different events and having booths at different trade shows or events of that nature where we can promote what's going on!"

Dane says the Brandon Garden Club is the oldest garden club in Manitoba. "They've got a great history there and have many established volunteers.  Sometimes the challenge is getting new people involved, and that's part of our role here; exploring every avenue to promote events, but also to reach out to those organizations to include them in the process and the planning stages. How can they participate, how can they share their experience and their knowledge to help guide others." 

"It's all those connections that allow us to build this 'community of gardeners' initiative," he adds.

Please listen to more with Brady Dane below!

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