Get planting on May 2, not May 24
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Staring out the window at my brown and barren yard over the last few weeks, I found myself anxious, not just for spring's eruption, but for the chance to get my hands dirty in the garden.
Conventional wisdom encourages us to wait until the Victoria Day long weekend to satisfy that itch, when warmer weather puts an end to frost warnings and the sun hangs in the sky long enough to properly fuel the growth of our seedlings. This rule of thumb, however, assumes our gardens to be full of foreign imports like tomatoes and petunias, plants that don't tolerate the sleepy transition of Ontario's winter to spring with much grace.
On Saturday, May 2, you'll find me with shovel or spade in hand after my annual pilgrimage to the Native Plant Sale at the Lambton Heritage Museum, located eight kilometres south of Grand Bend on Highway 21. After a morning spent wandering amongst tables full of potted gems like prairie smoke, mayapple, purple-flowering raspberry, sky blue aster and wild ginger, an afternoon playing in the dirt is impossible to resist.
Most of our native plants, those that populated the landscape long before the first settlers arrived here, are used to our climate and weather and are hardly fussy about shorter days and the occasional nip of frost. In fact, some natives, like trillium, bloodroot and yellow trout lily, rise so early in the year they might already be in bloom.
The sale is organized by Lakeshore Eco-Network, a local not-for-profit that works to raise awareness about environmental issues and advocate for effective climate and biodiversity action.
Pat Morden, the network’s chair, has seen the sale evolve since its launch in 2015.
“Our organization started more than 10 years ago after a tornado ripped through Grand Bend, taking down thousands of trees,” he said. “Our goal was to encourage people to replant with native trees, which are adapted to thrive in our region and provide habitat for many birds, insects and other animals.
“Some of the best growers in the southwest now bring stock to our spring and fall native plant and tree sales. It’s a popular event that attracts gardeners from a wide region, and there are always lots of lively conversations about the benefits of planting native.”
People are drawn to the sale for a variety of reasons. Some are hoping to expand the food provided by their native garden, searching for the likes of American hazelnut, wild strawberry or paw-paw trees, whose fruit is often described as tasting like a mango crossed with a banana. Others are there for the spring ephemerals, plants that rise, flower and go dormant all before summer arrives. There are those, of course, who simply want to find a splash of colour or a pretty flower to add some curb appeal.
But for the hardcore enthusiasts, as long-time vendor Sarah Smeekens of Thedford Native Plants puts it, it's more profound: "There’s something deeply satisfying about planting something that does more than just please the eye. You begin to feel connected to the soil beneath your hands, to the insects that pass through, to the birds overhead. It transforms a simple act into something meaningful, grounding, and quietly important."
The plants native to our area co-evolved with local wildlife over thousands of years, each species influenced by shared environmental pressures and one another's behaviours. This intricate dance forged a mutual dependence that has developed generation after generation.
Planting natives fuels these relationships in powerful and predictable ways that most exotic plant species simply can't satisfy. Our gardens are no longer just attractive greenery but become habitat instead, shelter and sustenance for creatures both big and small, that helps to support the broader ecosystem on which all life, ours included, depends.
There's been a very notable rise in enthusiasm for native gardening around these parts over the last several years. Commercial enterprises like Thedford Native Plants or Hemlock Grove Nursery in Grand Bend are perhaps the most obvious sign of this, but not the only ones. Take a peek on Facebook and you'll likely discover upcoming community events from Blyth to Lucan, just like the Building Habitat and Biodiversity event held at Bethel Bible Church in Seaforth on March 23. Or consider the ongoing work at Bingham Butterfly Park (243 Blake St. W., Goderich) led by Butterflyway Goderich, part of a nationwide, citizen-led initiative that works to create habitat for pollinators. All across the province, native plant enthusiasts are gardening for nature and it's no different here than elsewhere.
Of course, there are those who will arrive at Saturday's sale with little idea as to how it differs from a trip to their local garden centre. To help these folks better understand the positive impacts that planting natives can have, nature education and advocacy organizations also show up in force. One such regular is Huron County Backyard Ecosystems, an organization out of Clinton that works to encourage the restoration of local biodiversity in support of pollinators and wildlife.
"Supporting native plants starts with encouragement, not criticism. One plant is all it takes to begin. When we work with people to find what fits their garden and their goals, we create lasting change that keeps growing," said organization founder Krystal Brideau.
The spring 2026 Native Tree and Plant Sale will be held Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Lambton Heritage Museum, 10035 Museum Road, Grand Bend. A similar sale will be held in autumn, likely in early October, although the exact date has not been announced.
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