Go forth! go forth! brave urban souls
Take spade in hand and dig some holes;
Till Mother Earth, plough up the soil;
Seize fruitful pleasures for your toil;
Carefully slaughter worm and grub.
O happy, happy Gardening Club!

Let not rain or hail or snow
Deter your spirits as you hoe.
Gently cover sleeping seeds;
Harshly root out wicked weeds;
Hungry birdies please defy;
And God bless your asparagi!

Water, water everywhere,
Most especially round the pear.
Spinach, currant and broad bean
All will flourish and be seen
To bear rich fruits, and be among
God’s finest foison, grown in dung.

Wheel the barrow, prune the rose –
How the pretty parsnip grows!
Check with Urquhart* for the flies; 
Ritchie’s* job’s to supervise.
And nourish, feed the tender shrub,
O happy, happy, Gardening Club!

God will sprinkle, God will shine
On Onion, Larkspur, Radish, Vine.
Clouds will go and sun will come
On Carrot, Beet, Chrysanth. and Plum.
And God will shield you with his light,
While you watch your phlox by night.

Brave band of Gardeners, forth ye pass!
Create a fertile vale of grass.
Let it thrive, lest weeds it choke,
And in the Fall the grass you’ll smoke.
Stumbling on melons as you go,
You’ll hardly notice winter’s snow.

Go forth! go forth! brave urban child!
May valley breezes be so mild
That veg. and flowers of rare estate
Will pour in bounty on each plate.
O God will sprinkle, God will bless!
O Horticulture! Good Success!

--Professor of English, Dr. Andrew Patenall (1973), and current club member

*this poem references the late UTSC Entomology Professor, Dr. Fred Uqrquhart, who discovered the wintering locality of the Monarch in Mexico; and the late UTSC Professor of Botany, Dr. Jim Ritchie. 

All photos and video are copyright protected by UTSC Garden Club members and may not be used without the owner's permission. These photos are all of our own gardens. No stock photos were used in this website. Website created by Jason Weir