Instead of just dreaming about spring and gardening, start preparing with your local gardening club and receive some of the best help you can get by becoming a member of the Almonte & District Horticultural Society.
Although the name may give the impression the Society is all experts, we are really just a garden club with members at all levels of experience who are more than happy to network with others by sharing problems and offering ideas and solutions. Whether a beginner or master gardener, you are certain to enjoy the benefits of the Society as an excellent resource to answer your gardening questions. We provide a supportive environment for gardeners of all levels by encouraging the use of eco-friendly practices to promote the production of food, flowers and plants, and to conserve our environment.
A&DHS presents expert guest speakers at monthly meetings covering a wide range of topics. Our first speaker this year is Bob Volks from Gilligallou Bird Inc. (of Almonte and Ottawa) who will be doing a presentation on Back Yard Birding and Native Plants. Other Society benefits include: Networking opportunities with Lanark County Master Gardeners; A monthly newsletter (The Garden Grapevine) to keep you informed of current events; Field trips, garden tours and flower shows; Member discounts from numerous local gardening businesses; Access to the Ontario Horticultural Association; and an annual plant sale offering vegetables and plants at discount prices (Saturday, May 12 this year). In addition, following each meeting, you’ll enjoy refreshments and have time to share your gardening experiences or get personal one-on-one help. Raffles at each meeting provide a chance to win useful garden-related items.
A&DHS volunteer members spend an amazing number of hours planting and maintaining public gardens at the Cenotaph, Almonte Library (large circular bed and Albert’s Garden), Peace Park, Veteran’s Walkway, Arena, and the downtown barrel and urn planters. If you like gardening but do not have an opportunity to do so where you live, why not join the Society to have the opportunity to partake in a hobby you enjoy. High school students are most welcome to join us and can apply their volunteer hours toward the 40-hour Ontario community involvement requirement.
With the cooperation of the Mississippi Mills Beautification Committee, Society members assemble thank-you gifts, and select, photograph and submit winners to the Canadian Gazette and Millstone News for the ‘Yard of the Week’. We hope to continue our partnership with Naismith School by continuing to plant flower and vegetable seeds with the Junior and Senior Kindergarten classes in the spring. These seedlings are then planted in the kindergarten play area and planters constructed by volunteers in front of the play area. When the students return to school in September, they enjoy fresh vegetables.
Meetings are held the 4th Monday of the month (except July and December and adjusted dates due to statutory holidays) at 7:30 P.M. at the Cornerstone Community Church (next to the Almonte Roundabout at the corner of Conc. 11A and County Rd. 49). Pot luck suppers are held at the meetings in August and November. Membership is only $10 per year and any person 16 years of age or over may become a member. Registration for the 2018 season will take place at our first meeting on Monday, January 29 from 7:00 to 7:30 P.M. (the 5th Monday of the month due to scheduling circumstances) and throughout the year.
A&DHS members will also be in attendance at the ‘Seedy Saturday’ event on Saturday, February 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Almonte Civitan Hall to accept registrations and answer questions. This event is organized by Johvi Leeck owner of Beyond the Garden Gate and a member of our local Society.
