The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign hosts the third annual event July 18 and 19, 11 a. m. to 4 p. m., rain or shine. All proceeds will be handed over to the Stephen Lewis Foundation to assist grandmothers in Africa who are raising their grandchildren beause their own children have died from AIDS.

Ann Craig-Howarth, co-ordinator of the Blooms for Africa garden tour, said the Stephen Lewis Foundation receives proposals from grassroots organizations in Africa or the grandmothers themselves.

“It (the proposal) could be something as simple as supplying a child with a uniform to go to school,” said Mrs. Craig-Howarth. “I explain that to people when I’m selling tickets for the tour because it’s a tangible, concrete way for people to see how little is so great for some individuals.”

The Crook’s Hollow garden of Jim and Frances Bull is among 12 on the tour, and the outstanding reputation of the Stephen Lewis Foundation is one of the reasons the couple didn’t hesitate when asked to join this year’s event.

“To me, it’s a very good organization,” said Mrs. Bull. “You know that the money they raise goes directly to the people in need.”

The Bulls’ five-acre property was an apple orchard when they purchased it 36 years ago. They planted all the trees on the property, mainly evergreens like spruce and pine, interspersed with colourful lilacs.

The Bulls’ stately stone home was built 16 years ago by stone mason Bill Clarkson. In 1993, shortly after it was completed, the Niagara Escarpment Commission presented the Bulls with an achievement award for constructing a home sensitive to the historic nature of the Crook’s Hollow and Christie area.

Much of the garden then began to bloom in earnest.

“We just started with foundation plantings around the house and then, when we started to look out at the vistas, we thought we’d like a tree here or a shrub there,” said Mrs. Bull.

Over the years, Mrs. Bull said she has gleaned most of her planting and gardening expertise from the Canadian Garden Magazine, which offers a Plant of the Year for different regions of the country. Mrs. Bull said she likes plants that are “not fussy” and, as a design element, she also buys three to five plants so there are repeats throughout the garden. Through trial and error, the Bulls have also managed to discover plants that allow them to share their land with the deer that graze very close to their home.

“The gardens are never really stagnant,” said Mrs. Bull. “You go through one season to another seeing what will survive. If it doesn’t, you try something else.”

Two of the Bulls’ favourite plants are day lilies because they are hardy and ever-blooming, and in the spring, nearly 2,000 daffodils dot the property with colourful yellow blooms.

Along with the deer, the Bulls share their garden with tiny, hovering hummingbirds. A screened-in porch allows the couple a quiet, secretive spot to watch the delicate creatures up close. In fact, the Bulls must get the feeders out by Mother’s Day or the returning humming birds are there before the feeders.

“It’s really nice for us,” said Mrs. Bull. “I like the variety of colour and texture of the garden, and I like the fact it attracts hummingbirds and birds in general.”

During the garden tour Mrs. Bull said she’s looking forward to welcoming urban and rural residents throughout the city.

“We love the Crook’s Hollow area and we hope some people from the city who have never visited will share and appreciate rural Dundas,” said Mrs. Bull, adding she also hopes to share plant ideas with the weekend visitors.

Passports for the tour are available at the Jitterbug Java Cafe in Waterdown, A Different Drummer Books in Burlington, The Keeping Room in Dundas and Bryan Prince Bookstore in Hamilton.

Raised nearly $14,000

Co-ordinator Ann Craig-Howarth said Blooms for Africa has raised nearly $14,000 in the past three years; funds she knows are finding their way into the hands of those who desperately need it.

As a retired educator, she said she joined the local Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign to make a difference in the lives of both grandmothers and grandchildren in Africa.

“The child aspect, for me, was very compelling, and I’m also a grandmother, so that was another tug at my heart,” said Mrs. Craig-Howarth.

The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign involves primarily senior women who have retired and are are now putting their expertise to work through fundraising events, from garage sales to garden tours and everything in between.

Along Blooms for Africa, the local chapter crafts hand-made grannie aprons and takes on speaking engagements to raise awareness of the challenges faced by grandmothers in Africa.

According to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, an estimated 11 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and the numbers are expected to reach 20 million in the next four years. Grandmothers have emerged as the unsung heroes, burying their own children and then beginning to parent again. In some countries, 40 to 60 per cent of orphans live in grandmother-headed households. To learn more, visit www.stephenlewisfoundation.org .