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About Us

Stittsville Goulbourn Horticultural Society was established in 1962. Our emblem is the Convallaria majalis or Lily of the Valley has broad leaves and fragrant little, nodding, white, bell-shaped flowers.    

A BRIEF HISTORY

STITTSVILLE-GOULBOURN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

The then called Stittsville Horticultural Society came about through the combined efforts of a group of local gardening enthusiasts and is one of 285 in the Ontario Horticultural Assocation (OHA) today.  It is now one of 21 Societies in District 2 which spans the Ottawa Valley west to Deep River and the Madawaska Valley, east to Gloucester and Manotick and south to Kemptville.

There is no doubt that Emerson and Grace Thompson were instrumental in the formation of the Society in 1962 with Emerson serving as the first president.  They were joined by other extraordinary and enthusiastic gardeners such as Mr& Mrs Cecil Archer, Thor & Pam Thorgrimsson, Archie & Doreen Bell, Dr. Nils Olson and Roberta Boucher.

They shared a love of gardening and an interest in community beautification.  They saw a need for not only fellowship with other gardeners, but regular meetings that would provide learning through lectures, workshops, fieldtrips and even friendly competition.

The headline in the Stittsville News on January 11, 1962 read:   “Calling All Gardeners” publicizing the inaugural meeting held at 8:30 pm., Thursday, January 18, 1962 at Stittsville Public School auditorium on Main Street and attended by 17 people who became the founding members.  The article read in part:

“When the thermometer tells you its cold outside, do you enjoy thinking about what you will do in your garden next summer?  The executive of the Carleton County Horticultural Society is eager to start a group in Stittsville.   We have some keen gardeners but there are many of us who wonder just what will bloom best on a sunny slope or what kind of shrubbery to plant at a particular corner of the house.  With a horticultural society, we can get the advice of experts.  Stittsville will be a village of beautiful gardens and homes.”   

In 1962 the Stittsville Horticultural Society took 1^st prize for a floral display at the Richmond Fair.  Thus began a long involvement over the years with members of the Society entering the Fair and continues to this day to include an annual donation towards prizes for entrants in the floral, fruit and vegetable categories.

The first of its own Flower Shows was held at the Bradley’s IGA on Main Street in Stittsville on May 15 & 16, 1963 with the tradition continuing today with both a Spring & Fall Show held at St. Thomas Anglican Church.  In 2000 the Society hosted the District 2 Flower & Vegetable Show at the Richmond Arena.

In 1969 Mrs. W .J. Stauffer was writing a weekly column called “Down the Garden Path” in the Stittsville News thereby continuing the close relationship between the “News”  and Stittsville Horticultural Society.  Later columns in the “News” were written by Ruth Dickinson.

In 1977 the name of the Society was changed to Stittsville-Goulbourn Horticultural Society as a result of the 1974 municipal amalgamation creating a larger Goulbourn township.  It made the Society more inclusive and attractive to potential members from Richmond, Munster Hamlet,   Ashton and other parts of Goulbourn.                                                                          

In 1981 a red oak was planted at the Goulbourn Municipal Building at Stanley’s Corners to commemorate the 75^th Anniversary of the Ontario Horticultural Society.  In 1988 a red maple was planted there in memory of Thor Thorgrimsson, a charter member of the Society.  Other local projects have included landscaping the new branch of the Goulbourn Public Library and in 198l members helped landscape the new Stittsville Lions Medical Centre facility.  In 1987 members looked after planter boxes of flowers at the Main Street entrance to Cedar Street walkway and that year members took part in the first ever Goulbourn Corn Festival.  Over the years members participated in tidying of the Legion flowerbeds and cleanup at the Library beds.  In 2000 a blue spruce was donated to the new Goulbourn Recreation Complex on Shea Road and also a pine to the Stittsville Library.

The first members Photographic Competition was held in 1983 with over 100 entries in the inaugural competition.  This included both colour slides and prints with eight classes in total in the competition. 

In 1992, the first lifetime memberships of the Society were awarded.   The four charter members of the Society so honoured were: Pam Thorgrimsson, Nils Olson, Doreen Bell and Grace Thompson.   In 1997 four more were awarded to Reg Faulkner, Gary Garvie, Kay Garvie and Edna Emmott.   

At the 40^th anniversary celebration in May of 2002, on behalf of the City of Ottawa, a plaque was presented by Goulbourn Ward Councillor Janet Stavinga and accepted by Grace Thompson whose husband Emerson was the first president of the Society.

In 2005 as part of the City of Ottawa, Stittsville-Goulbourn Horticultural Society ‘adopted’ the Trans-Canada Trail and the Village Square Park.  Members also participated in the Spring Clean-up of both locations and planted 100 OHA Centennial Tulips at the Village Square Park and beds at the Stittsville Legion.  Lee Boltwood was awarded a lifetime membership for her service to the Society. 

In August of 2006, Society member participated in the hugely successful OHA centennial  celebrations held in Ottawa and hosted by the 21 Societies in District 2.   A combined project with the Royal Canadian Legion, Stittsville Branch saw the re-landscaping of the beds located in front of the building on Main Street with replanting to be completed Spring of 2007.  

Membership climbed to a high of 84 members.   

Following are the words of a Past President, Peter Jago in his 2002 Yearbook, President’s Remarks.

“The one ingredient that has to be provided by the gardener to achieve success is knowledge and this is gained from learning about plants and their needs.  There is a wealth of information readily available from fellow gardeners in the community.  They have accumulated over the years, knowledge that they will readily pass on to others.  One would be wise to take advantage of it.”

Last Updated: 2008-01-13