The Cornwall & District Horticultural Society (CDHS), in partnership with the City of Cornwall, will be hosting the 10th annual Bark & Compost Day at the Cornwall Landfill Site on Saturday, May 9th, 2015 from 9 am to 1 pm.

Wood mulch and compost will be sold pre-bagged or by the scoop. With the environment in mind, you may also recycle your bags from last year or bring your blue boxes or similar containers for filling onthe-spot by Society volunteers.

Bags (or containers) of each product will be sold for $3.00 each; buy 10 and get one free! Scoops will be $25.00 for the first scoop and $15.00 for each additional scoop. Two scoops fill the average pick-up truck. One dollar from the sale of each bag/container of compost will be donated to the Children’s Christmas Fund for the purpose of cereal and/or milk. The mulch, locally produced, is excellent for moisture retention and weed control when applied generously to flowerbeds and around newly planted trees and shrubs. It also helps maintain an even ground temperature so plant roots don’t bake under the hot summer sun. All of this means your plants will thrive with less effort and watering. This year’s product is from hardwood, a finer mulch.

Compost, produced at the landfill site, is a rich organic matter important for healthy soil. City residents’ leaf and yard waste is collected at the curbside and then composted at the landfill site. Eighteen months later, the most wonderful compost is ready to use. (A chemical analysis is conducted to ensure it is safe for public use. Users will be required to sign a waiver as mandated by the Ministry of the Environment.) When worked into your garden earth the compost will help produce prolific plants and at the same time improve the structure of your soil. It is also an excellent natural fertilizer for your lawn.

The CDHS, also known as Friends of the Garden, uses the monies raised on this day to not only fund its monthly meetings and special events, but also to give back to the community. Past and present projects include community gardening at a number of venues around the city, donations of tulip bulbs for the cenotaph and container gardens given to local senior residences, planting at Habitat for Humanity homes, Cornwall Hospice, Living Wall at the Cornwall Public Library and monetary donations and support to Seaway Valley Community Health Centre’s Community Gardens and The Children’s Treatment Centre.

Please join Friends on Saturday, May 9th, rain or shine, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for Bark and Compost Day. The City’s Landfill Site is located at 2590 Cornwall Centre Road West — watch for the signs! Due to restricted access and constructions on Cornwall Centre Road, it is recommended that drivers use Highway #2.