OLDS — Town council has proclaimed 2022 as the Year of the Garden in Olds.
Council made that decision during its May 24 meeting.
A request for decision (RFD) from administrative staff noted that the federal government recognized 2022 as Canada's Year of the Garden via a House of Commons declaration passed last year.
It marks the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.
The RFD said the Year of the Garden is a chance for Canadians, from retailers to individual residents, to “celebrate Canada’s rich horticulture and garden heritage.”
Doug Wagstaff, the town’s community services director, told council that the Town of Olds plans to work with Olds College to celebrate the year by promoting gardening – the college’s Botanic Gardens in particular.
“That was already an initiative that we were working with them on already, to be able to leverage that jewel that we have working with them of the Botanic Gardens. We will continue to do that and see some joint promotion,” he said.
“The Town of Olds will work with Olds College to promote the Botanic Gardens and celebrate the role gardens and gardening have, with many important community quality of life benefits,” the RFD said.
Wagstaff said red was supposed to be the colour for flowers as part of the celebrations for the Year of the Garden. However, the news came too late for the municipality's staff. They order flowers every November.
Wagstaff said it’s his understanding the college had much the same problem.
“They were in a similar sort of circumstance, where a lot of their flowers had been already seeded to be ready in the spring,” he said.
Mayor Judy Dahl asked if Town of Olds staff will now be in a better position to watch out for certain colours being declared the colour of the year.
Wagstaff said they would.
“They’re now on our radar for the future,” he said. “I think it’s something that annually we take a look at, colouring.”
In light of that, Coun. James Cummings asked what the Town of Olds' colours are for this year and how a citizen could learn that.
“We did not have a theme yet for 2022. The last couple of years we have not had themes. It’s just been flower orders,” Wagstaff said.
