President’s Report | Cowichan Valley Garden Club

President’s Report, April 2025
The next Cowichan Valley Garden Club Meeting will be held Wednesday, April 9th, 2025, at Duncan United Church Hall (246 Ingram Street). Meeting starts at 7:00pm. Doors will open at 6:30 pm.
It’s April which means it’s plant sale month!! Mark April 25^th and 26^th on your calendars. On April 25^th please bring your potted plants with identification tags to the Siem Le’lum Gymnasium at 5574 River Road in Duncan where hardworking volunteers will help you unload and take into the building.
The plant sale runs from 10 am to 2 pm on the outside patio. Let your friends and neighbours know so we can have a successful sale!
Plant sale volunteer information is now posted on the website. You will find it in the members only section under “Team Duty Months”. Please review your shift(s) and note your start time. As I write this it appears there are still some openings on both Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. As a note especially to new members, this event is fun and a great way to get involved with the club. No experience necessary! Working the plant sale was my first volunteer position in the club 8 years ago and now look at me!!
Our speaker for the April 9 meeting is Trevor Coey. His topic is Protecting Our Trees in Changing Times. Trevor will give us advice about preparing our trees/shrubs for our changing and often extreme weather, particularly heat and drought. He will cover mulching (what to use and what not to use), beneficial fungus in the soil, amendments to improve soil function and quality, the process of root invigoration and how it helps trees and shrubs, and common pests and diseases. There will be lots of time for discussion, so bring your questions.
Trevor was born and raised in Victoria and has been working with and caring for trees for over 25 years. He is currently an Arborist Representative with Bartlett Tree Experts in Victoria. He is a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture and a certified tree care safety professional.

This month’s parlor show, decorative categories include:

“Spring Forward” a vegetative design
“Easter Basket” a design of your choice using accessories
Other categories include Fritillaria meleagris, tulip, Narcissus, Camellia, Primula, Grape Hyacinth, a flowering branch, a potted flowering orchid and radishes as well as our usual Surprise Us and Don’t Judge Me categories if you have anything delightful we just have to see. Please refer to the website for more information

We ask that Parlor Show Entries be placed on the table by 6:45 PM. This will give time for judging before the meeting begins. Thanks in advance for your assistance with this.

There are still a few spots left in the Build An Obelisk Workshop on April 19th, but this Wednesday is your last chance to register. Cost is $60 and includes all materials. If you want to register at the meeting, please bring cash or cheque – members are not registered until they’ve paid.
I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.
Marlene Karmann
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Our mailing address is:
*PO Box 917, Duncan, BC, Canada, V9L 3Y2*