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About Us

The Renfrew Area Horticultural Society was resurrected in 1986 by Nellie MacEwen, after the previous society was disband several years earlier.  She designed our logo with the Scotch Thistle, our emblem, incorporated into it. 

Back in 1986, memberships were only $2.00.  Boy, have times changed since then.  A few years later, a yearbook was planned and distributed to the membership.  It was a simple yearbook of a few 8 1/2 x 11 white sheets, hand typed on a typewriter by the way, and construction paper as a cover.  Now we have competitions through the OHA at our Conventions for the most creative and informative yearbooks.  Years later, it was decided to come up with a quarterly means of communication to the members, especially for the members who were not able to come to meetings all the time.  So "the" quarterly newsletter was made.  Then it turned into a monthly one, at which time it was thought that we would name the newsletter.  A name "the"newsletter contest was had and the name "The Thistle Gazette", submitted by Lois Smith, was voted on for the name of the monthly newsletter.  The Thistle Gazette is published at least 11 times a year and is given to members as part of the membership perks, as well as a copy of the current society yearbooks.

Several years ago, a Renfrew Area Horticultural Society website was developed under the direction of a past member.  Once she left the society, the site was left abandoned up until  2000-2001, when it was taken over by a long time member of the society.

Civic Projects that the RHS has been involved in in the past have been: landscaping at the Renfrew Library, initial plantings at the entrance to Renfrew Victoria Hospital, initial plantings at the entrance to Mateway Park, and in 1995 we were invited to plan and execute the landscape for the new Renfrew Tourist Information site.  1997 was the last of a three year involvement with that project.  In 1997 we planted 1400 crocus bulbs on the hill at the Trinity St. Andrew's United Church as a visual aide to promote our millenium project.  Each year since 1993 we plant a tree in honour of our Member of the Year.  In 2005 we established a shrub garden at Haramis Park on O-Briend Rd.  Projects in 2006 included the maintenance of our planting at Haramis and the Albert's Garden Tulip Project.

The Albert's Garden Tulip Project...What's That??

This project is to observe how flowers, mostly tulips, are responding to climate change.  It is recognized that certain standards (eg cultivar, planting depth and spacing, bed exposure, planting time, etc) would be required to ensure comparability among sites.

It is named Albert's Garden after a long time Lanark County gardener observed that his flower were blooming or chives were harvested earlier every year.  However, he did not keep a record of his observances.  This project is for all the Albert's who sense that climate change is occuring form observing their gardens.

Our garden is located in Haramis Park between the parking lots and was the first to bloom out of five other society's gardens because of the open space it is in and the asphalt is a conductor of the heat from the sun and warms the earth faster. Look for a pretty display of tulips every spring.

Last Updated: 2012-01-03