A Country of Gardens

Members of the Tweed and District Horticultural Society traveled across Canada at their July meeting. The navigator of the excursion was Penny Stewart, District 3 Director for the Ontario Horticultural Society. Penny’s power point presentation took members through many of the outstanding gardens in Canada.

First stop on the trip was Vancouver Island with visits to the world famous Butchand Gardens and Royal Road Hately Estate Gardens with its large collection of rhododendrons and azaleas.

VanDusen Garden in Vancouver is located on property originally owned by BC Rail. The property was purchased by a group of citizens to prevent the building of a housing development. This is a teaching botanical garden with many ponds incorporated into the property.

Travelling across the prairies to Ontario, the next stop is the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. It is the largest botanical garden in Canada and the Queen’s blessing makes it “royal”! This garden houses a large number of native plants and a spectacular dahlia collection.

Next members stopped in Montreal to visit the Montreal Botanical Gardens. This garden boasts the largest Bonsai display in Canada. Also in Quebec, Bleu Lavanda which is one of the largest lavender farms in North America.

Redford Garden (Garden de Metis) is located in the Gaspe Bay region of Quebec. Once a quarry, the site is home to a woodland garden and a large peony display garden.

Last stop is in Nova Scotia at the historical garden, Annapolis Royal. This cottage garden has a typical building and vegetables that the settlers would have brought over and planted many years ago.

After all the travelling, members sat back and enjoyed cake and berries with ice cream and strawberry punch!

COMING UP….

August 4…Pot Luck Dinner at Thomasburg Community Hall. Remember to bring your favourite pot luck dish to share and your own utensils.  START TIME...6 pm.

Kevin Elchuk of Giboshihill Hosta in Cobourg will have a slide show on hostas. He grows over 1300 different varieties and sells 250-350 different varieities. He will have some hostas for sale.

August 16….Clean-up of flower beds in town.