Events
Current Events
March - Seedy Saturday
Saturday, March 15, 2025 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Wellington County Museum & Archives
2025 Centre Wellington Seedy Saturday
The Horticultural Societies of Elora & Salem and Fergus & District will jointly host the 6th Annual Centre Wellington Seedy Saturday on Saturday March 15th, 2025.
This live event will be held at the Wellington County Museum & Archives, 0536 Wellington County Road 18 in Fergus. Doors will be open to the public from 10:30 am till 2:30 pm, with entry from the parking lot on the north side of the building. Admission will be free of charge to all attendees.
Donations of seeds are welcomed. A seed donation table will be set up to receive and package donated seeds, as needed. Seeds may be exchanged for other varieties available on the free exchange tables. Seeds may also be taken from the exchange table or purchased from the commercial vendors.
There will be something of interest for everyone, regardless of age, gardening experience, and/or expertise as a seed enthusiast. We have lined up a diverse group of vendors of seeds, roots, plants, and garden supplies, with community groups and advisory services in attendance.
Please plan to join us for an enjoyable and informative day out. Browse the vendor tables, exchange seeds, meet your neighbours, and share stories and information on a huge number of topics such as genetic diversity, pollination, working with nature, community garden opportunities, and more.
A supervised Children’s Activity Corner will also be available for the youngsters in attendance.
For more information, please contact the event organizers by email at cw.seedy.saturday@gmail.com
Live Workshops
11:00 am: Vegetable Gardening 101 – How to Get Started by Nancy Hainsworth, Nancy’s Creations
12:00 noon: Creating Successful Nesting Habitat for Native Bees by Joe Prytula, WeeBeeHouse
1:00 pm: Invasive Species in the Garden by Katie Church, Invasive Species Centre
Vendors
Arthur Greenhouses
Chawin’s Workshop
Colleen’s Garden Signs
CountrySense
Ever Smiles Gardens
Gerrie’s Garden Centre
Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds
LittleTree Garden Market
Nancy’s Creations & Seeds
Rebel With A Garden
Seeds of Imbolc
Two of Us Gardening & Mainenance
WeeBeeHouse
Worm Wrangler
Community Groups
Centre Wellington Community Garden Network
CW Native Plant Group
Food Forest Centre Wellington
Neighbourwoods / TreeTrust
Advisory Services
Guelph-Wellington Master Gardeners
North American Native Plant Society
Seeds of Diversity
The Invasive Species Centre
District 7 Spring Meeting & AGM
Saturday April 26, 2025
9:30am-12:30pm
Hosted by Grand Valley Garden Club at the Grand Valley Community Centre, 90 Main Street North, Grand Valley
Speaker: Bonnie Sitter, co-author – Onions Skins & Peach Fuzz – Memories of Ontario Farmerettes by Shirleyan English and Bonnier Sitter
Bonnie will have books and cards for sale at the meeting. Cash, cheque or e-transfer only.
Plan to attend the meeting. Cost is only $10 for the morning. Coffee and mi-morning break provided by the hosts.
Plan to enter the Flower Show. Entries are place between 8:30 and 9:15.
Advise Fergus Hort. President, Ken Johnston, if attending – he will advise of numbers for the hosting Society for set up purposes.
Spring District 7 Flower Show - April 26, 2025
Entries must be placed from 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Judging starts at 9:30 a.m.
Division 1 – Horticulture *
Points- 1st-6, 2nd-4, 3rd -2
Prizes- 1st-$5, 2nd- $3, 3rd- $2
Class 1. Hellebore/Helleborus – 1 stem/spray
Class 2. Any Spring Flowering Bulb – 1 stem/spray, named
Class 3. Flowering Branch ** – max. 75cm. (30″) including container, named
Class 4. Saintpaulia (African Violet), Standard, single crown – 1 pot
Class 5. Bedding Plants – cell pack, one cultivar, grown from seed, named (min. 4 plants)
Most Points in Horticulture- Prize donated by Guelph Township Horticultural Society – $10.00
* Two entries per class are permitted in Horticultural division only but must be from different cultivars. House plants and garden plants must have been cared for by exhibitor for at least three (3) months or have been grown from seed or a cutting by exhibitor. Judging in accordance with Ontario Judging and Exhibiting Standards, 2019. Substandard entries may not necessarily receive a prize.
** Branch can be forced
Division 2 – Design
Points- 1st-8, 2nd-6, 3rd -4
Prizes- 1st-$7, 2nd- $5, 3rd- $3
Class 6. Submerged Beauty – an underwater design ***
Class 7. Thumbelina – a miniature desgin
Class 8. Grand River Flowing – your interpretation
Class 9. Simplicity – a design using only 1 bloom. Other plant materials allowed.
Class 10. Side by Side – parallel design****
Judge’s Choice – Prize donated by Guelph Township Horticultural Society- $10.00
*** Underwater Design: a design with part(s) placed under water to create interest. Although the design must have part(s) under water, no definite percentage is required. A portion of the design must be above the water line. The parts under water and out of the water must form a unifed design (Page 155 OJEES 2019)
**** Parallel Design: A design in which three or more groupings are placed in a parallel manner with open spaces between the groupings. The Parallel direction may be vertical, horizontal or diagonal, The design is in one container or in containers combined so as to appear as one unit. (Pager 146, OJES 2019)
May - Best Bloomin' Plant Sale
Saturday, May 24, 2025
8:00am- 11:00am
(volunteers needed 7:30am-Noon)
Stone House (next to tennis courts), Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex
Our plant sale is made possible by the generous donations of plants and gently used gardening equipment from our members.
Donated plants should be bagged or potted and labeled. Volunteers are needed to help pot plants on Tuesdays and Fridays, May 13, 16 and 20, as well as on Friday, May 23 for sale setup from 9 am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm.
For more information or to volunteer, please email Kathy Bouma at fergushorticulture@gmail.com. Email us if you need help digging up plants or if you need items picked up.
Lion's Club Home Show
May 27, 28, 29, 2025 5:30pm – 9:30pm
Centre Wellington Sportsplex
This event is to encourage the members of our community to enjoy gardening. Traditionally, this event was an opportunity for children to plant a pansy for Mother’s Day.
The dates of the Home Show have changed, giving us the opportunity to create a different experience for Home Show visitors.
June - Annual Garden Tour
Sunday, June 22, 2025
12:30pm to 4:30pm
Enjoy a self-guided tour through four wonderful, diverse gardens.
A monetary donation to the food bank would be appreciated.
Maps and informatio will be available at various locations, including our website, the Information Centre and local nurseries.
Interested in volunteering? Let Mary Ann Branciere know if you would like to act as host at one of the 4 gardens.
July - Grand Gardens of Fergus
July 2025
The Grand Gardens program recognizes homeowners who make a contribution to the beautification of our community.
Nominations are made by society members, the Grand Gardens committee and by the public by sending an email to fergushorticulture@gmail.com.
Homeowners are selected and receive:
- a Grand Garden sign for their garden
- a one-year complimentary membership to our Society
- an invitation to the Society’s monthly meeting for recognition
- a certificate honouring their selection
In early July, gardens are selected based on curb appeal, visual appeal and impact, design, maintenance, and environmental stewardship.
OHA Annual General Meeting
Saturday July 19,2025
Virtual meeting
There is no conference this year.
The Annual General Meeting will be held virtually. Our Executive will represent the membership at this meeting.
District 7 Fall Meeting
Saturday October 18, 2025 – 9:30 am to 12:30p
Hosted by Fergus & District Horticultural Society
Fergus Legion, 500 Blair Street, Fergus
Registration opens at 8:30am – $10 fee for the day
Each Society to bring a door prize with value of approximately $25
Morning coffee and mid-morning coffee break provided by hosts
Speakers TBD
Coffee and mid-morning break provided by the hosts.
Plan to enter the Flower Show. Entries are place between 8:30 and 9:15.
Advise Fergus Hort. President, Ken Johnston, if attending – he will advise of numbers for the hosting Society for set up purposes.
Past Events
District 7 Spring Meeting & AGM
Saturday April 13, 2024
9:30am-12:30pm
Hosted by Clifford & District Horticultural Society at the Clifford Community Hall, 2 William St North, Clifford
Speaker: Paul Judge, Town Landscape Coordinator for Minto
Plan to attend the meeting. Cost is only $10 for the morning. Coffee and mi-morning break provided by the hosts.
Plan to enter the Flower Show. Entries are place between 8:30 and 9:15.
Advise Fergus Hort. President, Ken Johnston, if attending – he will advise of numbers for the hosting Society for set up purposes.
June - Garden Tour
Sunday, June 23, 2024
12:30pm to 4:30pm
Successful Garden Tour collects $1,029 in donations for the Food Bank
Weather didn’t dampen people’s spirits at this year’s Garden Tour event. Although it threatened rain all day and the cloudy skies kept the temperatures cooler, our donations for the Centre Wellington Food Bank were almost double from last year. We presented the Centre Wellington Food Bank with a $1,029 in cash donation thanks to the generous doners that were part of this year’s tour. Our hats off to Mary-Ann Branciere, Vice President and Garden Tour lead organizer. It is thanks to her tireless effort that this year’s tour was such a success.
This year’s tour included four spectacular gardens.
- The Groves Memorial Hospital “Healing Garden and Memorial Forest” was one of the gems on this year’s tour. It’s a quiet, peaceful garden tucked away behind the hospital. The Grand Valley Agricultural Society had the vision and the funding to create this remarkable garden. The area is full of gardens, a gazebo, a fountain, a tree-lined meandering path with benches and chairs. The Elora and Salem Horticultural Society had the vision to create the pollinator garden within the Healing Garden.
- 121 Halls Drive, Elora was a heavenly garden that unfolds as you make your way down the side of the house to the back. Completely transformed. Creativity reigns here. All this including the trees created in just 13 short years. Full of colour, Japanese Maples, interesting ground covers, Verbascum, coleus, impatiens, orange marigolds, hostas, clematis, tree peonies add beauty to this garden.
- 486 Washington Street, Salem has a gentle sloping English styled garden on the shore of the Irvine River. The raised beds close to the water’s edge are full of colour with a wide variety of annual flowers and spring bulbs. The property is full of shrubs, perennials, beautiful trees, a blue heron and hummingbirds.
- 492 Washington Street, Salem is a beautiful ¼ acre of gardens on the shore of the Irvine River. The setting is peaceful and serene. The property has a mix of mature trees and shrubs, shade and sun gardens, and colour bursting from a mix of perennials and annuals that come from their greenhouse.
July - Grand Gardens of Fergus
July 2024
The Grand Gardens program recognizes homeowners who make a contribution to the beautification of our community.
The Grand Garden winners for this year are:
- Jennifer Otto, 135 St. George Street, East, Fergus
- Jim and Marsha Keracher, 11 Middleton Ave. Fergus
- Mike Crawford, 430 Elora Street, Fergus
- Chris Slack & Brandi Meeks, 385 Garafraxa St W, Fergus
- Irene O’Shaughnessy, 295 Breadalbane Street, Fergus
- Barbara Muller, 150 St. George Street, East, Fergus
The Grand Gardens program recognizes homeowners who make a contribution to the beautification of our community.
Nominations are made by society members, the Grand Gardens committee and by the public by sending an email to fergushorticulture@gmail.com.
Homeowners are selected and receive:
- a Grand Garden sign for their garden
- a one-year complimentary membership to our Society
- an invitation to the Society’s monthly meeting for recognition
- a certificate honouring their selection
In early July, gardens are selected based on curb appeal, visual appeal and impact, design, maintenance, and environmental stewardship.
Coffee in the Gardens
June 11 10am at Terry Fox Park
July 23 10am at Templin Gardens
Members are invited to enjoy a cup of coffee in our parks. One day in June, coffee will be served at Terry Fox Park. One day in July, coffee will be served at Templin Gardens. Dates will be update more closely to the event(s).
District 7 Fall Meeting
Saturday October 19, 2024 – 9:30 am to 12:30p
Hosted by Orangeville & District Horticultural Society
Compass Community Church, Orangeville, 246289 Hockley Valley Rd, Mono, ON
(north of Orangeville on Hwy 10, NE corner at Hockley Road)
Registration opens at 8:30am – $10 fee for the day
Register at the September Members’ Meeting on September 25th
Each Society to bring a door prize with value of approximately $25
Morning coffee and mid-morning coffee break provided by hosts
Speakers
Trish Symons: Magical Moments in the Garden
Michael Erdman – “Wet & Wild” Floral Design Demo