Inger Knudsen
Guelph Wellington Master Gardeners
Inger has volunteered for the Guelph Wellington Master Gardners for many years. She describes her memories of how they got involved in the Arboretum and what they do. Inger also talks about what gardening means to her and the beauty of the Roots and Shoots garden.
Interview by Amy Moffat, CTS*3020 student, University of Guelph.
Listen to more stories:
First Memory at the Nature Centre
A Space of Happy Beginnings
A Peek Inside An Abandoned Historic House
Transcript
0:00 My name is Inger Knudsen and I am a volunteer at the Guelph Arboretum
0:04 I’m also part of the Guelph Wellington master gardeners and the Guelph master gardeners have taken on the taking care of the roots and shoot garden that we’re sitting in.
0:17 And we have done that for 12 years.
0:21 And so we are a whole group of people who have had a on a rotation to, to look after the garden to weed it, feed it.
0:30 We don’t feed it, the leaves, feed it and the mulch feeds it with mulch very heavily.
0:36 And, and over the whole summer until October, we have somebody here taking care of the garden.
0:43 This garden was originally started in 2003 when Jane Goodall came to.
0:51 Jane Goodall come, came to the arboretum.
0:54 And at that time, there was our famous hort manager at the play.
0:59 at the Guelph Arboretum was Henry Kock and he they were very happy that came and they planted the beech behind you.
1:09 They planted that beech in commemoration that she was here.
1:12 And then they planted some other trees, they planted big cotton woods and so at that time, it was meant to be a forest.
1:20 And then for some years, nobody did anything.
1:24 Then they started, across the road from here.
1:26 We can see the Italian gardens and the English garden and the Japanese garden.
1:31 And then they looked at this area here and looked at all the weeds and looked at this woodland garden.
1:37 Nobody took, there was in a garden, but nobody took care of that and then it was close to the center and they thought they should be a little more formal and a little more formalized and a little more taken care of.
1:47 So then they thought what to do because, the Arboretum has limited resources, of course.
1:54 And then they, asked the master gardeners of and we say yes, that would just suit us because now we have a connection to the area and we all love the arboretum because that’s what we do.
2:10 You got a garden for many reasons and a lot of people, find the healing to be in a garden, especially if they’ve gone through a, a medical emergency or a medical thing or, or some mental health.
2:23 They find it very comforting to be in a garden for me.
2:28 That’s not it at all.
2:30 For me, it’s the excitement of seeing something grow. I find nothing in life is more exciting than to see things sprout come up and be beautiful and be part of the whole, environment.
2:44 We think it’s a beautiful space to be in.
2:47Just sitting here.
2:49 I think it’s beautiful.