Friday, January 18, 2019 7 Brooklin Town Crier Blooming in Brooklin By Ken Brown Longer Days Lead To Seeding The days are getting longer. In fact we're enjoying about two minutes more per day of daylight. So by the time you read this we'll have gained almost an hour from the winter solstice. That extra hour can con- vince us gardeners there's hope for a new gardening season. We should start looking through seed catalogues and planting the earliest ones under our lights. With flowers, the size of the seeds determines how early in the season they need to be planted. That puts begonias at the top of the list and some of mine have already been sown. Zinnias are at the other end of the scale. I grow all my geraniums from cuttings I harvested in September. But there are some nice geraniums that can be grown from seed and they need to be planted about now. Growing your own plants from seed can be a therapeutic and financially rewarding activity. Heat and light You can spend many dollars on fancy germination chambers and light setups. While they work well, all you really need is a heat source to warm the soil and light to provide healthy growth. Most seed catalogues feature a small heat mat designed to germinate seeds and they sell for less than $40. Light is the critical feature and there must be enough intensity to keep the little plants happy, in other words short and sturdy. The secret to good light is the distance between the light source and the plants. Light dissipates rapidly over distance. Inexpensive fluorescent fixtures with common cool white tubes work well if you can keep those tubes about 5+ cm from the top of the plants. The trick though is you need to be able to adjust the distance as the plants grow. Here's the satisfaction During the dark days of January, it's satisfying to run a packet of little brown specks of dust through your fingers, contemplating what they'll magically grow into with a little supply of heat, light and moisture. Then we dig into the soft, moist soil and appreciate its texture and ability to hold that heat and moisture and supply it to our seeds. While I've used the word 'soil,' we don't actually want anything with garden soil in it. We need a sterile growing medium to provide the needed elements without providing any unwanted fungus spores, insect eggs or anything else that might attack the tender seedlings. Luckily such products are available at the local garden centre along with the right size of clean containers to keep them happy. Next is one of the most pleasant gardening activities. Seed catalogues and their web sites abound with pictures and descriptions of more new and interesting plants than we could possibly accommodate. Read them and dream through these dark days before making final choices. I received a seed catalogue the other day that promised 100 new vegetable varieties! How can I possibly choose? Community Calendar Fri., Jan. 25: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Fri., Jan. 25: 7 pm: Paint Nite fundraiser for Durham Region Hospice At St Thomas Anglican Church, 101 Winchester Rd E Limited tickets available @$45 each. To register, visit: it.ly/paintBrooklinCares Sun., Jan. 27: 7:30-9 pm: Trivia Night At MichaelKelly's Eatery on Winchester and St. Thomas $20 per person cash only. Teams of 4-6 ONLY. Each team receives a large pizza and an order of garlic bread, with a beer per person. Winning team members will each get a $10 gift certificate to MK's. Register by emailing your name and number of team members to: editorofbtc@gmail.com Capacity is 42 people, so registration is first come-first served. Hosted by the BTC with all proceeds going to Prostate Cancer Canada Network (PCCN) Durham. Sat., Feb. 2: 9:15 am - 2nd annual Durham Rocks Charity FunSpiel, facilitated by the Durham Children's Aid Foundation Proceeds to support our most vulnerable children in Durham region, those affiliated with the Durham Children's Aid Society. The theme is "Canadiana" and there will be prizes awarded for the best dressed. Tickets are $100. Participants will play two sheets of ice and receive lunch, dinner and live entertainment. Sat., Feb. 2: 5:15 pm - Brooklin United Church Fundraiser Chili dinner and butter tart challenge (with 'blind' judging). Registration closes Sat., Jan. 26. To register and receive a challenger information sheet: Contact Karen Martin: 905-655-4945 For tickets, call church office at 905-655-4141 Adults $12.00, Children 5 - 12 years $5.00, Under 5 free Proceeds To Brooklin United Church A portion goes to 'bridge to a new home' refugee sponsorship program French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico. ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Performers Sought For 2019 Town Events Bands, buskers and musical performers are invited to apply to the annual call for performers and take part in some of the Town's 2019 events and festivals. "Last year, in response to our first call for performers, we received nearly 100 applications," said Mayor Don Mitch- ell. "This year, we look forward to showcasing even more local talent through our community events." More than 25 performers will have the opportunity to be featured at the Town's 2019 events, including Music in the Park, Canada Day, Brooklin Harvest Festival, Open Streets and others. Applications can be submitted online at whitby.ca/callforperformers. The deadline for applications is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. To be considered, applicants must complete the Expression of Interest application form and provide a three to four sentence biography, sample song list, promotional video and link to a website or live performance. For more information on submitting an application, visit whitby.ca/callforperformers or email events@whitby.ca.