“Have a Garden This Year!”
It’s hard to imagine that, back in 1934, a group of enthusiastic gardeners from Valois put their heads together and, after much thought and discussion, came up with this motto, setting the groundwork for the creation of the Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society (PCHS), an organization celebrating almost a century of bringing people together to share their love of gardening.
The goal of these early West Islanders was simply to encourage gardening in their community, either by planting flowers to beautify the neighbourhood, or fruits and vegetables for fresh produce. These days, almost every home has a garden; it’s hard to imagine needing to encourage people to do so! A committee was formed, and, by August of that same year, their first garden competition and flower and vegetable shows were held. Monthly meetings were held and still are to this day, 90 years later.
Competitions were highly anticipated events back then. In the 1960s, the Lakeshore Rose and Bloom Show began, and this annual event pitted three West Island horticultural societies – Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, and Dorval – against each other. They kept up these competitions until 2001, eventually evolving into the Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society Annual Rose and Bloom Show, whose last show was in 2018. PCHS has since turned its attention to its community projects, like the Pointe-Claire “Paradise Garden.”
90 years after its creation, the Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society has over 130 members who may be as passionate about gardening as its first members, but without the need for competition. PCHS is about sharing knowledge, sharing ideas, and, of course, sharing plants!
The Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society continues to engage with the community through various initiatives, including:
An annual spring plant sale with plants dug from members’ gardens sold at incredible prices. This year, the May sale was held in the parking lot of the Pointe-Claire Plaza.
The transformation of an overgrown site into a community flower garden nicknamed “Paradise Garden” at the corner of Stillview and Hymus
Donating a weekly bouquet of home-grown flowers to the Pointe-Claire library during the summer months
Workshops and speaking engagements most often given by the ever-enthusiastic president of the Society, Wanda Mitkiewicz.
Membership
As in 1934, members continue to hold monthly meetings with presentations, demonstrations, and occasionally workshops in which to participate. All of this is followed, of course, by tea, coffee, baked goodies, and lots of chatter. The cost of joining the Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society could not have increased much since its inception — it’s currently only $20/year!
Membership has its privileges! Included in the membership:
Garden tours of members’ gardens
A mentoring program in which the experienced and most knowledgeable gardeners volunteer their time to help less experienced members
A lively plant trade in the fall
A monthly newsletter, The Buzz
Volunteer opportunities
On Sunday, July 14th, to celebrate its 90th anniversary, the Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society will have a number of gardens to visit, followed by a celebration with sweet treats and a chance to win one of 10 incredible perennials donated to the club by the City of Pointe-Claire. Numbers are limited, so if you're interested, send your name to Pteclairehort@gmail.com to reserve your spot and find out the details, or visit https://pteclairehort.org to learn more.