Dear Members of the St. Catharines Horticultural Society / Garden City Gardeners,

Please find a letter from your President, Jan Harte, along with a wonderful letter from the Mayor of St. Catharines, Mat Siscoe.

On Saturday, August 29th, I had the honour—and the heavy heart—of presiding over the final meeting of the St. Catharines Horticultural Society / Garden City Gardeners. It was a difficult meeting to chair, as this society holds deep personal meaning for me. My journey began in 1996 when my grandmother signed me up during a membership drive. She served as the society's secretary for over 20 years, and attending monthly meetings together became a cherished tradition until she was no longer able to go.We did achieve a quorum to complete the necessary business for the society. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all members who were unable to attend in person but willingly offered their assistance to help us complete this important work.While the society is concluding its formal operations, its legacy will firmly live on. The membership voted to install legacy benches throughout the city to honour our history and preserve our name, placed at the Civic Rose Garden at Montebello Park and at the pollinator gardens for the entire community to enjoy. Furthermore, a dedicated group of volunteers will continue maintaining these gardens on behalf of the city. If you are interested in volunteering to help keep these gardens vibrant, please reach out directly to Jan Harte.I sincerely hope you will continue your passion for gardening and community by joining neighbouring horticultural societies in our district.Thank you all for your years of dedication, companionship, and commitment to beautifying our community.

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Warm regards,

Lisa De Young

District 9 Director, Ontario Horticultural Association

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Hello fellow gardeners,   This will be my last email to all members past and present. Thank you all who attended the meeting last Saturday at St. Columba Church. We had a quorum so I thank you that we did not have to resort to plan B. It was a bittersweet event, and there were so many emotions occurring that morning. We voted to close the society after 169 years.It has been a pleasure to serve as your President and Co-Chair these past 12 years. I could not have done it without the support of my Executive and Board. Your suggestions and willingness to do the necessary jobs was most valuable. I would particularly like to thank Sandy Martin who co-chaired these. Her expertise, knowledge and commitment was extremely valuable. Without Sandy and the Board we would not have been able to accomplish all that we did.When you look back on all the projects and events that happened, we can be proud to be members of the Garden City Gardeners, aka St. Catharines Horticultural Society. The many memories of planting pots, setting up tables and chairs, labelling and pricing plants, driving around the city looking for gardens for our Garden Tour, sharing food and stories at meetings, barbeques, plant sales, weeding at our gardens bring back happy and fond memories despite our aching feet and bodies. We can be proud of the beautiful gardens we maintained, including those at the BME Church and our pollinator gardens. Our noble history will be remembered not only in our memories but in the five Legacy Benches at Montebello Park, Victoria Lawn Cemetery, and Valley View Park. A dedication plaque on each bench reads "In Honour of the St. Catharines Horticultural Society 1857- 2026, donated by members past and present". What an honourable society we were!  Signing off for the last time.

Yours in gardening,

Jan Harte. janharte@msn.com 905 687-1178

If you want to help at the pollinator gardens, call me.

 

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Dear Jan & Anita,

Thank you so much for the lovely book and, especially, for your very thoughtful card. It was incredibly kind of you to think of me, and I very much appreciated both.It is difficult to see the Garden City Gardeners come to an end after such a remarkable history. Few organizations can claim that kind of longevity, and generations of members have made an enormous contribution to St. Catharines, helping to beautify our community and playing a real part in the tradition behind our identity as the Garden City. I know its conclusion must be bittersweet for you and for everyone who has devoted so much time and care to the Society over the years.It makes me particularly happy that, earlier this year, we were able to unveil the Burgoyne tribute in the Rose Garden at Montebello Park. It seems especially meaningful now to have been able to recognize that piece of our horticultural history in such a beautiful and fitting setting, and to ensure that part of the Garden City Gardeners' legacy will continue to be remembered.Thank you again, Jan, for your kindness, and for everything you and your fellow members have done for St. Catharines. The Society’s is an extraordinary legacy, and one our community should be very proud of.

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Warmest regards,

Mat Siscoe