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Thousands of bulbs in bloom on Terrace Heights

Garden tour event to fundraise for Rose City Kids Gerry and Jane Walker bought their Terrace Heights Crescent home in Fonthill a couple of years ago, and went to work on indoor and outdoor renovations.
Gerry Walker in his backyard greenhouse. DON RICKERS

Garden tour event to fundraise for Rose City Kids

Gerry and Jane Walker bought their Terrace Heights Crescent home in Fonthill a couple of years ago, and went to work on indoor and outdoor renovations. The landscaping makeover, done by DeKorte’s of Fenwick, features both a greenhouse and 4000 bulb plants, which will be in full bloom for an event open to the public on May 7 and 8, which Gerry refers to as “a stroll through our gardens.”

There is no entry fee, but donations are encouraged, with all offerings directed to Rose City Kids (RCK), a faith-based organization serving 500 youths ages four through 17, operating out of a former theatre complex on East Main Street in Welland. Programming with staff and volunteers includes such activities as leadership training, mentorship, tutoring, choir, youth nights, and summer camps.

Both Gerry and Jane share a love of seeing life spring from the soil.

“I worked for 16 years at the Vineland Research Centre, with a focus on grapes and tree fruit, and integrated pest management,” said Gerry. “I moved on to the Tender Fruit Marketing Board, and then went into crop insurance. Jane has a farming background, and worked in wholesale flowers in the 1980s.”

They just returned from checking out the tulip beds in Holland.

“We planted 4000 bulbs last fall, sourced through DeKorte’s wholesale and Van Noort Bulbs in St. Catharines, which actually originated in Holland. We admittedly went a little crazy,” said Gerry. “We’re still kind of experimenting. There's a lot to learn. There are some technical things, like the greenhouse gas heating, that we still have to work out.”

There are some technical things, like the greenhouse gas heating, that we still have to work out

Gerry’s vision is to grow exotic flowers, along with vegetables, over the winter. He keeps the greenhouse heat at around 10 to 15 degrees Celsius in the dead of winter, and an exhaust fan vents air once the temperature hits 24 Celsius. Commercial grow lights hang from the five-layer, polycarbonate ceiling panels. He has a tropical passion flower that produces fruit, a Victory plant, an olive tree, a Bird of Paradise, and a Bougainvillea in his collection, amongst others.

“Janet’s passion, aside from plants, is quilting,” said Gerry. “She has a studio set up in the basement, so I’m the one who generally putters around in the greenhouse for a couple hours each day.”

The gardens are still a work in progress, with more bulbs to be planted in future years. As to how they will look for the event in May, Gerry is uncertain.

“Will the daffodils, crocuses, and tulips be in all their glory for Mothers Day weekend? Who knows what the weather will be doing between now and then? We’re hoping it doesn't get too hot, too early,” said Gerry.

The connection with Rose City Kids came through a conversation between the Walkers and John Langendoen, the chair of RCK, who was working with DeKorte’s on the landscaping.

“John talked about all the good work being done at Rose City Kids, and Jane and I just thought that it was the kind of charity through which we’d be able to give back to the community,” said Gerry. “We don’t want to be cloistered, and myopic about life. We want to help people.”

   


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Don Rickers

About the Author: Don Rickers

A life-long Niagara resident, Don Rickers worked for 35 years in university and private school education. He segued into journalism in his retirement with the Voice of Pelham, and now PelhamToday
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