Engaging Youth in Your Community ~ Peterborough Garden Show ~ Interview

Interview with Cauleen Viscoff ~ 
Peterborough
Garden Show

“A picture says a thousand words” … then there was the Peterborough Garden Show!

The Peterborough Garden Show is truly a “Magical Place” for gardeners, photographers, grandparents, young families and children who can enjoy a fabulous time at one of “Ontario’s best Garden Shows”!

At the Peterborough Garden Show there is so much more to offer than just a “picture”! The Peterborough Garden Show offers “Free advice”, seminars, knowledge, relaxing elegant rest areas with natural surroundings of a “park-like” atmosphere, fabulous children’s interactive areas, art show, great food in relaxing atmosphere and so much more!

In the dead of the winter, with spring just around the corner and the Peterborough Garden Show held on a special weekend this year, April 2^nd – 4^th, 2015 and may be just what the soul needs to rejuvenate your skills, inspirations and spirit!

Peterborough Garden Show
Spring is in the Air

I have the privilege to get “THE INSIDE SCOOP” from co-chair Cauleen Viscoff. Our acquaintance and friend Margaret Higgins, committee member, offered me the opportunity to get the “SCOOP” from their “dynamo” co-chair. Margaret herself is a “dynamo”, always willing to share her insight, knowledge, wisdom, ideas and enthusiasm with anything to do with flowers, plants, gardening, and or course, the Peterborough Garden Show.

“Engaging Youth in your Community”!

The Peterborough Garden Show has been working with the community youth and in particular, those at a local high school where they have integrated a unique program in the students’ curriculum. The woodworking class takes generously donated lumber and creates “garden chairs” or “stools”, and this year “bird houses”. Then, the art class takes over and hand-paints floral designs on the stools, and birdhouses. This year, the Peterborough Garden Show is allocating “booth space” so garden show attendees can purchase the stools and birdhouses which the students are proud to share and show to their families and friends.

Two high schools are competing this year in a floral competition, creating small centre pieces that should create additional beauty and excitement to the Show!

Many skills are acquired during these projects. The students take a theme, create a design, and learn to work within the deadline parameters, execute their visions and finish the projects. Not only do the students gain the “community hours” required for their graduations from high school, they gain confidence, pride in their contribution to their school, community, family and themselves.

The Peterborough Garden Show believes it is important to engage not only the students, but the young families in the community in helping all types of gardeners, from the first-timers, to the dreamers and the experienced. There is something for everyone’s garden no matter how small or big.

In that vein, this year, they have a Garden Show Marketplace where small farmers or market gardeners can rent a table to sell their home grown or made wares, like veggies, honey, goat cheese etc.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our wonderful interview with Co-Chair, Cauleen Viscoff; Peterborough Garden Show. In the meantime, you can check out the Peterborough Garden Show at http://www.peterboroughgardenshow.com.