Barb Watson’s backyard is a true secret garden.
There’s nothing about the ordinary Bradford West Gwillimbury home and front yard on Imperial Crescent that even hints at what’s around the back: the walkways, water feature, gazebo, and landscaping that create a hidden world in the heart of town.
Like most gardeners, Watson divides her perennials and culls her plants to keep the garden from becoming overgrown. But she goes one step further.
She then pots up the extras and holds a one-day Secret Gardens Plant and Bake Sale, to raise money for charity, inviting a few chosen vendors to join her. Last year, the sale raised funds for a Guatemalan orphanage.
This year – the fourth year for the fundraiser – all of the proceeds went to the Easter Seals Society of Ontario, in support of the Easter Seals camps that provide kids with physical disabilities with an opportunity to just be kids.
The Plant Sale and Bake Sale included an appearance by “Butterfly Lady” Maria Da Costa, who provided butterfly-lovers with everything they needed to attract and raise butterflies in their own gardens.
It was the third in a series of fundraisers for Easter Seals this year, organized by Watson and friends, including a highly successful online auction that raised approximately $2,489, and the Spring Fever Vendor Sale at Green Valley Alliance Church in April.