What a beautiful spring we are having here in the valley! Gardens are bursting with life and we are all busy gearing up for a new growing season.
RECENT ACTIVITY
Community Garden Plot Rental
We have a few 15×15 garden plots available to rent for this season. If you are a member but don’t already have one and would like one, please call Jack van Gemeren at 613-687-1108 (evenings) to confirm your space. Also let him know if you want it rototilled as we may have a waiting list.
Please ensure your plot(s) assignment(s) are confirmed with Jack van Gemeren before paying. When you pay let us know that it is for the Community Garden. For more information about the Community Gardens, visit our website.
Youth Gardening Program
WE NEED YOU!
We are in need of 4″ pots (square ones preferred) for this program. If you have any to spare, please contact Lois O’Brien or post on our Facebook page and we will reach out to you.
The Youth Gardening Program that has been a huge success in the past, is underway with the Grade 3 students from
- Pineview,
- St. Francis of Assisi, and
- Our Lady of Sorrows
The program is lead by Lois O’Brien along with other PHS volunteers Jack van Gemeren, Audrey Gravelle, Susan O’Brien, Jo-Ann Whitehall, Sheila Moeller, Linda Long, Virginia Smith, Katherine Byrne, Lucie Letourneau and Patricia Seawright.
Thank you to these volunteers for taking the time and helping make this program achieve great things with the students!
Yearbook
The yearbook is out again, courtesy of Jack van Gemeren and Lois O’Brien who put in considerable time and effort into making it a work of art. This year, we will be posting it to the web for everyone to view. There is no direct link to it yet, but watch the Newsletter page for more info.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- April Monthly MeetingOn April 15th in the Rotary Room at 7PM, speaker is Sid Bruinsma who will share his many years of knowledge and experiences about backyard pond care and maintenance and how to successfully encourage a healthy, strong ecosystem for fish, plants, frogs, birds and much more. If you are not an active member, you may still join us for the modest fee of $5.00 for the evening or buy the annual membership for $10.00 and partake in all that the Society has to offer.
- Earth DayThe PHS will participate in Earth Day celebrations on April 22nd and will also be planting a tree in honour of long time members, Marielle “Marie” Nash who passed away in November 2023 and Cindy Lilly who passed away a few days ago.
UPDATE: We were just informed of the passing of another long time member and also Trillium Award winner – Maria Watford. On this day, she too will be honoured and remembered for her contributions. - Petawawa ShowcaseThe Petawawa Showcase runs April 26th – 28th. See the event page for details and timings. We are still in need of a couple of volunteers for the following times. If you have a couple of hours to spare on these dates, please let us know at
Saturday night (6pm – 8pm)
Sunday (12 noon – 3 pm). - PHS Photo CompetitionFrom now through August 31, 2024, we will be accepting photo submissions to the mailbox, from members for inclusion in our 2025 calendar. Photos do not have to be taken this year. Any previous years’ high-resolution photos are welcome. They will be judged by the executive in September and the winners announced shortly thereafter. The winners will have their photo posted in one of the 12 months as it corresponds to the season and have bragging rights, so be sure to capture for the entire year. We anticipate that the calendar will be available at the AGM in November. For more details, visit our PHS Photo Competition event page.
- PHS Trillium Award NominationsHave you seen any beautiful yards that should be award winning yards? Trillium Award nominations are open from May 1st. Please nominate friends and neighbors you think may be deserving of recognition and submit your nominations which are to include names and addresses, to with subject line “Trillium Awards”. For more information, visit Trillium Award Nominations. The deadline for 2024 is July 15th.
MEMBERSHIP
If you are not already a member, or if you have not renewed your dues, please complete the membership form and submit your payment.
Corporate Membership
Our membership director, Claire Hawke will be around to businesses starting this week, in the hopes that your business will support the Petawawa Horticultural Society’s efforts in the beautification of our community for a very modest fee of $20. As the owner or manager, you will receive a printed copy of the yearbook as well as an opportunity to receive one of a handful of lovely planters from the PHS.
Membership Fees
| Individual | $10.00 |
| Family | $15.00 |
| Business | $20.00 |
OHA NEWS
Earth Day 2024
We are excited to announce that the OHA GardenOntario is hosting an Earth Day Celebration on Friday, April 19th at 7 pm EST via WebEx with Claudette Sims joining us to discuss “A Gardening Conundrum: Why are invasive plants sold in nurseries?
Invasive plants are a threat to biodiversity, human health and our economy. They threaten native plants, insects, animals and our forests. So why are they still sold in nurseries? This talk will answer that question and suggest actions that we can all take to safeguard biodiversity.
We will also have the OHA’s Conservation & Environmental Committee share What’s New for Societies/Clubs!
The WebEx will open at 6:40 pm to the first 1000 individuals. No registration necessary. All participants MUST keep their camera and microphone turned off to ensure optimal viewing for everyone.
NOTE: The WebEx Link will be sent to all Societies/Clubs in April as well as posted on our GardenOntario Facebook page.
GardenOntario 50/50 Draw!
OHA Convention and AGM
District 7 & 8, our wonderful hosts of our Ontario Horticultural Association’s Convention and Annual General Meeting, are anticipating our arrival. They continue to work hard to plan a fantastic 3-day event packed full of wonderful bus trips, exciting seminars, delicious meals and much, much more! (OHA Convention documents attached for sharing with your membership)
Guelph, here we come!
Be an Early Bird and register at our special Early Bird Rate of $300.00 as it ends on May 10th. May 11 to June 19th our Standard Registration Rate of $375 will then apply. Delegates wishing to attend Friday only can register at our Single Day Rate of $175/day. Delegates wishing to attend Saturday only can register at our Single Day Rate of $200/day (Breakfast included).
Register Here: https://neartail.com/sm/vDEfPbhIx
Registration fees include:
- admission to all the plenary sessions
- seminar speakers
- Friday evening entertainment/Silent Auction
- Breakfast on Saturday morning and morning breaks
Please note: Accommodations, lunches, dinners, alcoholic beverages and bus trips are all additional costs. Lunch and dinner meal options for purchase can be found on https://gardenontario.org/convention/ and don’t forget to let us know if you have any food allergies!
Before registering, please discuss your Society/Club’s voting preferences to ensure all of your votes are accounted for during the AGM. Each delegate needs to register as either “voting” or “non-voting” and needs to indicate the number of proxy votes, if required. Proxy forms, resolutions and nominations will be made available after May 13th due to the Bylaws.
Wondering what to do after the morning plenary sessions on Friday and Saturday? It’s your choice, take in a seminar or be adventurous and book a Bus Trip and/or visit the Competition Rooms and Vendors.
A great line up of seminar speakers on various interesting topics have been arranged; 4 sessions at 1:30 p.m. and 4 more at 3:00 p.m. each day!
The Competition Rooms will be open on Friday from 12 to 5 pm and on Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. For your shopping pleasure, the vendors will be open from 8 am to 5 pm on Friday and Saturday. Several will be one-day vendors so don’t miss out!
To view the exciting Bus Trip and Seminar details, please visit our website at https://gardenontario.org/convention. When you register, please Indicate your bus trip and please email your bus waiver forms to me at .
For your convenience, payment for your registration, meals and bus trips can be made via a cheque or E-Transfer.
If paying by cheque, please make the cheque payable to the:
“Ontario Horticultural Association”
c/o Marian Heil, OHA Treasurer
56 Glen Cannon Drive
Stoney Creek, ON
L8G 4E1
Please include your full Name and Society Name in the Notes Field
Payment is due upon registration.
If you have any questions, please email me, Donna Hussey, the OHA Registrar at .
Accommodation
You can also book your hotel room at a special rate!
Delegates can use the link above to reserve rooms quickly online, for the OHA group rate of CAD $159/night plus taxes.
Alternatively, you can call the hotel reservations line at 1-844-496-8549 and quote “Ontario Horticultural Association Annual Convention” along with the dates to receive the group discount.
Please note that the cutoff date for the special rate is June 11, 2024.