Old East Village

Garden Club End of Summer Soirée

Saturday, August 23rd - any time after 7:00 pm

Todd and Vicki, being thegracious hosts they are, have offered to host our End of Summer Evening Soirée at their home at 494 Elizabeth.

We decided an evening party would be fun since everyone seems tired of garden crawls or the tour bit and just so busy trying to soak up the last bit of summer with chores and parties and projects. Todd and Vicki have a new fire pitt, a big back yard with lots of trees and chairs and host skills!

The event will be potluck it will be any time after 7 pm so bring something to share (oh, and byob).

I would also like to get together or at least chat with Queens Avenue residents about gardening on the lovely new traffic calming bumps. Perhaps we can put together a plan, send notes around to potential helpers and create a walk one evening next week to share and think about the new details!

Please RSVP as soon as possible so we have a chair count. Feel free to bring a friend!

Garden Gates Open

Saturday, July 26th - 10 am to 4 pm

Don't be shy - show us your garden! Share your Green Thumb efforts with friends, neighbours & fellow greenery enthusiasts.

For more information please call or email Donna Currie - (519) 439-7120.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Garden Crawl FAQs for the uninitiated...

How many gardens will we visit? Probably four or five -- more if we feel like hopping a fence or dropping in unannounced.... This is a walking tour-- all gardens are in the neigbourhood.

Can I just attend without showing my garden? Yes, but we encourage everyone who does the tour to volunteer their garden for it-- if not this year then next year. The idea is to share your space (and maybe some cuttings or seeds) not just display it.

Do I have to be an OEVCA member to do the tour? Yes. If you're not already a member, you can download a membership form and bring it on the day.

If I show my garden, do I have to provide drinks? No. While we don't wan't to be literally crawling when we finish, it is nice to have a little sip at each stop. Even if it's just lemonade or water.

Is there a non-alcoholic option? Yes. Each garden has a non-alcolohic choice. It might be just water, but its booze-free.

My garden is messy / not finished / not spectacular... That's great! This tour is not about manicured, pristeen, or showcase gardens. It is about sharing your garden with your friends and neighbours, so we can all learn and enjoy.

Do I need to bring something for the barbeque afterwards? Yes, please. We'd prefer that you drop off your dish at the host's house before the tour starts.

I want to do the tour but I can't stay for the barbecue. Is that okay? Yes, just be sure to tell the host in advance.

Boulevard Garden Contest July, 2008

Boulevards are Beautiful is an annual contest for people who plant their boulevards or front gardens. There are lots of great prizes. Judging will be done in mid-July 2008. For more information please call or email Donna Currie - (519) 439-7120.

Past Events

Fifth Annual Garden Crawl ~ 2008

What a great crawl!

A huge huge thank you to Vicki, and Todd for being such fabulous hosts of our crawl! What a great day, great company, new friends and such gorgeous gardens - yes even those in the "in progress state"! A really fabulous day...

Photos will be coming soon.

Bonus Garden Crawl ~ Friday, August 24th, 2007

Despite the blistering heat earlier in the day, this evening crawl turned out beautifully. Linda hosted the start and thunderstorm viewing after the garden stops. We met at Linda's garden, and finished up there with a dessert buffet. It's listed in our Moments image gallery.

Fourth Annual Garden Crawl ~ Saturday, June 16, 2007

We met at the under-construction garden of Heather Phillips. We finished up with a bang-up barbeque at Ted and Raquel's. Here's a list of where we stopped including the gardens that we 'crashed', and the beverages at each stop.

• Heather & Matt's - Mimosas
• Crashed Pat & Elmer's
• Crashed Sonia Wolfe's
• Peter & C.J.'s - White Sangria
• Jacalyn's - Mango rum punch
• Rick & Jaci's - White wine
• Ted & Raquel & Maya's for the barbeque - Sangria
• Crashed Greg & Sue's

It's listed in our Moments image gallery.

Green Day in Old East ~ Saturday, May 5, 2007

Thanks again... to all the hard working Green Day volunteers who made our Compost sale - and plant exchange such a great success.

Proceeds went to the Old East Village Community Association and Lorne Ave Public School's Garden Fund. The Old East Garden Club thanks London Composts for its generous donation of compost to support our community-building work.

Third Annual Garden Crawl ~ June 24, 2006

The Second Annual Garden Crawl was a civilized affair with several gardens back for encores, several new participants, and a really amazing post-crawl barbeque at the home of Greg Thompson. A wonderful time was had by all, many thanks to the eight gardeners who hosted us, including Ted and Raquel's bounteous BBQ.

Even though many gardens were at that awkward "in between" stage, it was a gorgeous day for a crawl. We met at the soon-to-be-dismantled garden of Bev Wagar and Sean Hurley, who are leaving London at the end of July. We finished up with a bang-up barbeque at the home of Sue and Greg Thompson.

This was the itinerary, minus the mixup at "949 Princess", which apparently does not exist...

• Bev & Sean (639 Central) Margaritas
• Heather & Matt (647 Elias St.) Mimosas
• Sonia ( 522 English St)
• "Invasion" at Rick & Jaci's (542 Ontario)
• Teresa (839 Elias) Sangria
• Rob (939 Lorne) Gin Fizz
• Greg & Sue (817 Lorne) Fuzzy Navels

It's listed in our Moments image gallery.

Green Day in Old East ~ Saturday, May 20 2006

Thanks... to all the hard working volunteers who made our Compost Value Day -- and plant exchange such a great success.

The Old East Garden Club thanks London Composts for its generous donation of compost and mulch to support our community-building work.

Plant Exchange ~ Saturday, May 20 2006

The plant exchange is part of Old East Green Day. Sharing is fun! Bring your divisions, seedlings or extra bedding plants. Swap (straight trade) or buy plants (50 cents to $3.00). All proceeds to the Old East Village Community Association.

New to plant exchanges? Click here to learn how they work.

Plant Exchange Plant Exchange "To-Do" List - Dig and divide your perennials. - Pot them up and label each container. Old (clean!) milk cartons, cottage cheese or yogurt containers make wonderful pots. - Please, don't bring any diseased plants. - Bring seeds and seedlings, both annual and perennial, if you have extras to share. - Seasoned traders sometimes have pictures and descriptions of the plants they bring to trade. - It's a good idea to bring a perennial reference book along if you have one. You might run across a plant and want to know its growing habits or preferences before you trade. Veteran gardeners, remember that we all started without much in our gardens. A few plants and some good advice are appreciated by new gardeners."

Road Trip to Sweet Grass Gardens ~ Saturday, September 10 2005

Several Garden Club members and friends visited Sweetgrass Gardens, a nursery and garden centre specializing in truly native plants.

Owner Ken Parker gave us a guided tour of the grounds and patiently explained the whys and hows of gardening with plants that naturally grow in our region. Now we know the difference between beautification and restoration! And we'll no longer garden with our eyes!

Second Annual Garden Crawl ~ Sunday, July 17 2005

The Second Annual Garden Crawl was our biggest and best yet with Delphiniums and Daquiris, Salvias and Sangria, Peach Punch and Potentilla, Margaritas and Melampodium, Buddleia and Budweiser!

Six hosts let us stagger through, er, tour their gardens this year. We enjoyed an improptu dip at Cathrin and Ricks's place, then finished up with a barbecue at Bev's place.

Boulevards Seminar ~ Thursday, February 26 2004

The Old East Garden Club and the Guelph Environmental Network presented a boulevard-planting seminar on February 26, 2004. Our special guest was Gail McCormack, coordinator of the Guelph Boulevard Club, a project of the Guelph Environmental Network. Check out their web site.

Planners Action Team 2004 ~ Thursday, February 26 2004

The Old East Garden Club presented to the PACT (Planners Action Team) committee meeting on Friday October 15, 2004 at City Hall. Bev, Rachel and Ted attended. The planners were surprised and quite pleased with our initiatives. How they knew about the super-secret missions of the infamous Guerilla Garden Posse remains a mystery... We presented a one-page newsletter about recent Garden Club goings on.

Click here if you would like to view the report to planners.

First Annual Garden Crawl ~ Saturday, August 14 2004

This was the second of our two Garden Crawls in 2004. Ahh, we were so full of vigour then...