Out and About: Getting the Dirt on Gardening with Frieda and Fred!

On Tuesday, March 11th, I found myself at the Seaway Senior Citizens Club, soaking in some serious gardening wisdom from none other than Fred and Frieda Deschamps—Master Gardeners (retired, but still very much in action!). This dynamic duo was leading a session called “Spring Seed Starting” as part of the Seaway Seniors Accessible Garden Project’s “Knowing and Growing” series, spearheaded by Karen Douglass Cooper.

Now, if you know me, you know I love gardening, so I was thrilled to be there. In fact, I attended the very inauguration of this project last year when the raised garden boxes were first built behind the Seniors Club at 506 Pitt Street in Cornwall, Ontario.

Fred and Frieda’s gardening journey is nothing short of inspiring. After retiring in 1999 (Fred from the post office), they decided they weren’t ready to slow down. Instead of taking on a part-time job like so many retirees, they applied to the University of Guelph, got certified in horticulture, joined a Master Gardener group, and spent seven years doing pro-bono work to earn the title of Master Gardeners. Now, at almost 80 years young, their passion for plants is still keeping them energized—and keeping all of us on our toes with the sheer amount of knowledge they have to share!

As they took us through their presentation, I couldn’t help but think back to my own gardening adventures. I’ve lived in many new homes over the years, each with a “blank canvas” garden, and every time, I’d tell myself I’d keep it simple. But who was I kidding? One flower bed turned into another and another, and before I knew it, my spare time was completely consumed with weeding, watering, and pruning! My oldest son, Kristian, inherited my green thumb and used to plant a veggie garden for me every Mother’s Day—talk about a thoughtful (and delicious) gift! When he moved to Calgary, he kept the tradition alive at his dad’s house, while my other two kids, Kristofer and Katrina, have discovered a love for houseplants. I guess gardening really does run in the family!

Back to Fred and Frieda’s talk—these two covered it ALL. We learned about:

How to space your seeds in rows perfectly with Fred’s seed measuring board.

The right soil for seedlings (hint: don’t use garden soil—it’s full of bacteria!)

Organic pest control methods (deer hate Irish Spring soap and cheap perfume—who knew?!)

The difference between Determinate (bushy, all-at-once tomatoes) and Indeterminate (vine-growing, season-long tomatoes)

Why new houseplants should be quarantined before joining your plant family (pests can spread!)

And so much more!

One thing that really stuck with me was the tip about raised garden beds—never use treated wood! The chemicals can leach into your soil, contaminating your food. Fred even shared a personal experience where treated wood ate through aluminum within six months! Stick to cedar or pine if you’re building your own.

I could go on forever, but let’s just say, I walked away from this session with my head buzzing with ideas and my fingers itching to dig into some soil. Though, let’s be real—I now live on seven acres surrounded by deer, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks, so my flower bed creating is hold for now as I am worried that after all my hard work planting, I will just be creating a yummy meal for my woodland friends. Instead, I’m sticking to planter boxes on my deck as no one seems to come close to them although last summer I did have a family of raccoons who ventured onto the deck and did explore in one of the planter boxes.… as long as I have some soil to plant in and some flowers to dead head I am happy!

Deadheading is actually super therapeutic for me. Back when I lived in Cornwall on Valerie Elizabeth Court, my neighbors loved when I stopped by—because they knew I’d end up deadheading all the flowers in their gardens before heading home. I just couldn’t help myself!

A few more interesting things I learned from Freida and Fred:

Some seeds need to be started indoors at the end of February, then planted outside around the May 24 weekend. That’s also a great time to directly plant things like lettuce, carrots, and spinach.

Seed packets have two dates on them: an expiry date and a viability date. The viability date is the one that really matters—it tells you when the seed might stop growing and should be tossed.

If you’re a smoker, be careful around tomato plants! Tobacco can carry the Mosaic Virus, which can spread to your plants.

Our area is Zone 5A or B (the lower the number, the colder the climate). And heads up—Canadian and American zonage systems are different, so always check the Canadian zone when buying plants or seeds.

Before I wrap up, here’s a heads-up for all my fellow gardening enthusiasts—Cornwall Seedy Saturday is happening tomorrow, March 15th, at the Cornwall Civic Complex from 10 AM to 2 PM! Normally, Fred and Frieda are there answering questions, but this year, they’re taking a well-earned break and attending as visitors. That said, I bet you anything they’ll still be surrounded by eager gardeners soaking up their wisdom. And guess what? I’ll be there too! So if you see me, come say hi—and let’s talk plants!

Until next time, keep growing and glowing!