The Cornwall & District Horticultural Society (CDHS), in partnership with the City of Cornwall, will be hosting the 12th annual Bark & Compost Day at the Cornwall Landfill Site on Saturday, May 13th 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 on-the-spot by Society volunteers.

Bags (or containers) of each product will be sold for $3 each; buy 10 and get one free! Scoops will be $25 for the first scoop and $15 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 purchasing 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.

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. 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 and monetary donations and support to Seaway Valley Community Health Centre’s Community Gardens and The Children’s Christmas Fund (Cereal Drive). The Society’s Special Fund Project Committee is currently finalizing details on a special project to beautify the city. Specific details will be released in a few weeks.

Please join us on Saturday, May 13th, rain or shine, from 9 am to 1 pm for Bark and Compost Day. The City’s Landfill Site is located at 2590 Cornwall Centre Road West — watch for the signs!