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Monday 15 September 2014

Results of the 52nd Annual Flower Show and Vegetable Show

Thank you to the organizers and participants in this year`s show. It was another successful venture.
The list of winning entries is shown below.Congratulations to all who participated. You are all winners!

Best Red Rose Trophy-Red Rose Plaque(Rose Bowl) Lynda Wheeler
Best Pink Rose-Joan Dunham Plaque Lynda Wheeler
Best Hydrangea-Lorraine Martin Plaque Marilyn Carnie
Best Vegetable-Dave Marsden Plaque John Bick
Judge`s Choice-Best Cultivar Stu Sheppard
Judge`s Choice-Best Houseplant Lorna Thompson
Judge`s Choice Best Flower Design Joe Rasmussens
Most Points Accumulated by an Exhibitor Linda Friend
Judge`s Choice-Best in Show Joyce Bryon

Friday 5 September 2014

Our Amazing September Speaker

Our next speaker in our Speaker Series will be Victoria(Vikki)Whitney. She is the General Manager of Griffin`s Greenhouses which oddly enough is her family business. This year, Griffin`s is celebrating its 38th year of business,WOW! Victoria has been actively involved as Manager since 2002. She grew up in the business and acquired most of her horticultural expertise and training during that journey.

Victoria was formally trained as a high school teacher and that experience has made her very comfortable in giving numerous seminars and workshops offered by Griffin`s Greenhouses. You can see the list of topics by visiting their website www.griffinsgreenhouses.com

Throughout her career she has spoken at numerous events throughout Ontario and has twice in the past been one of the speakers at the prestigious Canadian Greenhouse Conference.

When not digging in the rich earth at the greenhouse, Victoria is busy at home in her own gardens and orchestrating the life of a wife to Darryl and a mom to two budding gardeners Olivia(13) and Ben(10).

Victoria will be speaking to us on Thursday,September 18th 2014 at 7pm at the Presbyterian Church Hall which is located at the corner of Joseph and Queen Streets. Her topic is very appropriate for this time of year: Fall Planters. We know you will enjoy Victoria as she shares her expertise with us. Looking forward to seeing you on the 18th.

Sunday 20 July 2014

52nd Annual Flower-Vegetable Show and Summer Tea


The Bobcaygeon & District Horticulture Society opens its door to the community and to summer visitors for their 52nd Annual Flower/Vegetable Show and Summer Tea on Wednesday, August 6th from 1:00 -4:00 P.M. at Knox Presbyterian Church Hall, Joseph Street, Bobcaygeon,ON

The members have been busy with their gardening and now is the time to share their beautiful flowers/vegetables with their friends and the community.

The Flower Show includes cuts flowers-perennials and annuals, houseplants, hosta and grasses, vegetables, unusual specimens and floral designs. The objectives of the show are to educate, stimulate interest in horticulture, provide a venue for creative expression, and encourage community participation.The show is a judged event with a qualified and experienced judge.The committee develops a schedule and makes every effort to conform to Ontario Judging and Exhibiting Standards(OJES)for Horticulture and Floral Design, 2003.Copies of this publication can be purchased from the Ontario Horticultural Association(OHA)for $6.00 (through the on-line order form) by going to the OHA website:
www.gardenontario.org/shop/index.php

This year our Flower Design is “Four Seasons Celebrations” including a “Victoria Day Fireworks”, “Canada Day”, “Thanksgiving Day” “Valentine Day” and a class for the novice exhibitor

The exhibitors bring the best their garden offers.Specimen exhibits are named if possible. One secret to success is picking your flowers in time to let them harden.The goal is to absorb water after cutting and thus have fresher, longer lasting specimens or arrangements.The best time to cut your flowers and foliage is in the cool of the day –either early morning when dew is still present or late in the day after dew has formed.
Winning exhibitors are recognized for Best Cultivar, Best Houseplant, Best Roses, Best Hydrangea, and Best Vegetable Exhibit.

Members are always happy to answer your questions about the exhibits. After viewing the show enjoy tasty scones and a cup of tea served by ladies wearing beautiful hats.These ladies do an amazing job of creating an environment reminding us of the afternoon teas of years gone by.What a great way to end the afternoon relaxing with friends and fellow gardeners.

Thank you to Margaret McIsaac for contributing this blog to our website.

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Garden Tour Contest: Name the Plants

A Name the Plants Contest was held at the Riverside Garden on the Garden Tour. We understand that many of you are very anxious to know the name of the 5 plants in question. The list is shown below:

1.Climbing Hydrangea
2.Ligularia
3.Golden Spirea
4.Coreopsis
5.Campanula

The winner of the contest will appear with other draw prize winners on a subsequent blog. You are all winners just for trying and submitting your educated guesses. Thanks for making this a fun and engaging event!

Garden Tour Committee Thanks You

The 17th Annual Garden Tour was another successful adventure that could not have been such a wonderful event had it not been for all the businesses in Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls who sold tour passes, all of the garden lovers (adult and youth) who attended the tour, the weather that was superb, our Society members who acted as greeters or served refreshments at KSV, and lastly to those members and the local businesses who donated food and refreshments to support our pre-tour and the tour itself. None of our success would have happened without you!
The following list shows those businesses who generously donated food and refreshments to this event.We truly thank you all for your support and kindness.


Strang's Valu Mart
Bobcaygeon Foodland
Savoury's
Bobcaygeon Bread Company Ltd
Subway, Bobcaygeon
Luigi`s Pizza
Tim Horton`s, Bobcaygeon
Village Gate Variety Store and,
Bobcaygeon Convenience and Gas


The following list shows those businesses who kindly sold tour passes for this event.Our Society thanks you for your continued support and patience in promoting the garden tour.

Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce
Bobcaygeon Library
Bobcaygeon Electronics
Purdy`s Jewellery
My Favourite Things
Rural Roots Gardens
Strang's Garden Centre and
Stokes on Trent(Fenelon Falls)


Sunday 15 June 2014

Hanging Baskets and Planters on Bolton Street

This is a letter that was written in September 2011 to many key players in the City of Kawartha Lakes as well as members of the Trent Severn Waterway and lastly, key figures in Bobcaygeon. It explains our decision about discontinuing our management of the hanging baskets and planters in the downtown core.


To Whom It May Concern:
The Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society regrets having to advise you that it will no longer be able to undertake planting initiatives, specifically the seasonal hanging baskets and planter boxes located throughout the Village.This decision has been particularly difficult given the pride our membership has derived over the many years of enhancing our Village streetscape.

The Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society is honoured to support the beautification of Bobcaygeon since 1922. Over the past 90 years,our Society has been creating flower gardens on public and private property to enhance the Village for visitors and local citizens.

The beautification of the downtown core of the Village,specifically the seasonal hanging baskets and planter boxes started out as a partnership amongst the commercial retailers,Restore the Core 2000,The Chamber of Commerce,local and federal governments and the Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society.This successful partnership ensured that the downtown core,Swing Bridge and other focal points in Bobcaygeon had the colour and beauty that our visitors and local citizens came to expect during the growing season.

Over the course of the last several years,the Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society has become the sole proponent of these planting initiatives with monies coming from grant applications,local government funding and the Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society. In some years these plantings amounted to a total cost of over
$20 000(including watering and fertilizing)

The reality of this decision to terminate our involvement in the hanging baskets and planters is unfortunately a consequence of the Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society no longer having an assured funding mechanism to manage the program. In addition and of equal importance is our lack of sufficient volunteer manpower to undertake the arduous physical labour in transporting,installing,and removing flower baskets and planters on an annual basis.

Unfortunately,current economic trends have been challenging for many community-based organizations as diminished funding allocations from various public agencies has threatened the ongoing projects of various not-for-profit groups.

While this decision was difficult and only determined after prolonged deliberation,the Society must recognize that we have been providing a unique service to the Village for many years. In fact, after contacting other horticultural societies within the City of Kawartha Lakes and beyond to ask if they were providing the hanging baskests and planter box plantings for their repective towns,cities and villages we found that no other horticultural society does this. In all cases, the commercial business and municipal government control the beautifying component(hanging baskets and planter boxes).

The Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society wants you to know that we will continue to participate in the beautification of the Village by:

a) Maintaining garden beds on the Trent-Severn Lock 32 property,the Need Street intersection,Shea Park,Rokeby Market Square,The Social Service Centre,The Legion and Cenotaph,
b) Working in conjunction with both government and private industry to establish new gardens, where possible, and
c) Continuing a pro-active role:
i) promoting the protection of the environment,
ii) encouraging the planting of trees,shrubs and flowers on public and private grounds,
iii)stimulating an interest in the study of horticulture, and
iv) providing meetings for members to share camaraderie, education, and horticultural information.

Perhaps the revitalization of Bolton Street that commences this Fall makes this an opportune time to review and re-think the future of the Village beautification requirements and how best to support them.It is our sincere hope that those who planned the new look for Bolton Street, will endeavour to determine the wants and needs of Village beautification in a broader context;one which embraces Main Street, King Street and possibly other key neighborhood locations.

Should some other organizations wish to play a lead role in managing the hanging baskets and planters program the Bobcaygeon & District Society would welcome the opportunity to share our experience,knowledge and planting expertise.

Should the Society`s input be required please contact me.

Yours Sincerely
Joyce Bryon, President
Bobcaygeon & District Horticultural Society

Sunday 8 June 2014

Our Next Amazing Speaker

Our speakers this year have been duly impressed with the reception they have received from you,our members.This certainly reflects on our horticultural Society and how much you value the learning provided by our speakers. They enjoy you and enjoy returning to share their knowledge.

This June 19th we have another local speaker, Craig Mcleod, whose wife Linda has spoken to us before. She enjoyed her time with us and no doubt spread the good word to Craig.The McLeods maintain Cedar Lane Gardens near Fenelon Falls along Highway 121.

Craig will share his expertise on our provincial flower, the Trillium.He claims not to be an expert on trilliums, but somehow has the knowledge and expertise to successfully grow 11 varieties of the 40 species native to North America. He humbly claims that much of his knowledge has been derived from a book on trilliums written by Fred and Roberta Case of Michigan, USA. Fred and Roberta have successfully grown every known North American species and are the leading authorities on this woodland species.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday,June 19 at the Knox Presbyterian Church Hall (the corner of Queen and Joseph Streets). The meeting will begin at 6:30pm and Craig will entertain us starting at 7pm. We look forward to seeing you all again. In the meantime, happy gardening and please let it rain!