The Aurora Garden & Horticultural Society was founded on April 16, 1918, and is affiliated with the Ontario Horticultural Association (District 5). At that time, a group of people met at the Aurora Town Hall with a petition of 60 signatures requesting this be sent to the Ontario Government to proclaim official status that they form a Horticultural Society. Mr. T.D. Dockray, President of the Ontario Horticultural Association, addressed the group suggesting,they not only study flowers, but promote their increased production. He also advocated that school students become involved in vacant lot gardening…..sounds like this idea has been around for a very long time!

Many changes have taken place over the years since our society was originally formed in 1918, and to reflect those changes our membership voted at our Annual General Meeting on October 16, 1992 to officially change our name to read the Aurora Garden & Horticultural Society.

After the Society received its status, it never looked back. Mr. H.W. Fleury was our first elected President, Thomas Sisman was the first Vice-President, and Dr. W.J. Stevenson was the Second Vice-President. The first Director’s meeting was held April 23, 1918 at the Aurora Town Hall. The first general member’s meeting was held May 27, 1918. This was a very motivated group!

Highlights through the years have included our participation in the restoration of Hillary House gardens; the annual decorating of Hillary House for their Christmas open house; the Aurora in Bloom Contest to award and encourage Aurora residents to beautify their landscape; our society logo was placed on the Chamber of Commerce billboards on all four entrances to Aurora in 2006; a Purple Leafed Copper Beech tree was planted in the Aurora Community Arboretum to commemorate our members; a Tulip tree was planted for our 85th Anniversary in 2003; and the recognition awards given to a few of our members who have shown exceptional commitment for volunteer service in horticulture In 2007 Water for Tomorrow contacted us and requested that our society take the responsibility of transforming the old Billings Well Parkette into a peaceful solace for the community to enjoy. A grant of $1,000.00 was given to our society to purchase plant materials or anything else we required to beautify the park. Aurora Parks & Recreation assisted us on this project, by providing the soil, gravel screenings for the pathway and removing dying trees.

In September, 2007 we started collecting the flowers from our competitors after the monthly flower shows and made two floral bouquets, one for the Mayor’s office and one to go the Seniors Centre.

The Aurora Geranium was adopted by our Society in 1991 as our logo. The Aurora Geraniums grow in Costa Rica and Mexico and are cultivated by Oglavee Nursery in Pennsylvania and imported here to various local nurseries.