15th Great Gardening Weekend at the Montréal Botanical Garden - The Joys of Urban Gardening

MONTREAL, May 25, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Are you excited about growing vegetables, fruit and herbs on your balcony, in your back yard or even on your roof? Looking for some ideas and tips? Not sure where to start? On May 25, 26 and 27, the 15^th Great Gardening Weekend at the Botanical Garden, a Montréal Space for Life, is the place to find all kinds of advice to help you discover the joys of urban gardening. Some one hundred exhibitors (horticulturists, producers and craftspeople) will be on hand with rare and unusual plants, natural and gourmet products, and all kinds of advice on how to create your own garden, whether you have a spacious yard or just a tiny balcony. New this year: a zone devoted to local players involved in urban agriculture, a mock balcony demonstrating some ideas for container gardening, fun practical workshops, theme lectures and a roundtable discussion on urban agriculture (in French).

A program focusing on urban gardening
To celebrate its 15^th year, the Great Gardening Weekend will be looking at urban gardening, an increasingly popular trend in large cities worldwide. Come join in the discussions and presentations (Tangram game and hands-on workshops) with local experts on urban agriculture (Le CRAPAUD, Office de la consultation publique, Sentier urbain, Lufa Farms, Les Urbainculteurs, La ligne verte and Fruit-Xi). And have your say at the roundtable discussion on the importance of the urban agriculture movement, hosted by journalist Lionel Levac, on the afternoon of Saturday, May 26.

Thousands of plants, products and tips
As inspiration, the Great Gardening Weekend will be presenting a mock balcony with different container gardens prepared by the Botanical Garden's horticulturists. Also on hand will be about one hundred growers, horticulturists, craftspeople and representatives of partners of specialized societies, all happy to answer all your questions. There will be demonstrations and talks on different themes to help you develop your green thumb. And remember that this will be the perfect time to visit the Leslie Hancock Garden, with its magnificent azaleas and rhododendrons in bloom, and the all-new urban orchard, with its many different potted fruit trees (apples, peaches, plums, etc.).

An event like none other in Quebec
The Great Gardening Weekend won the 2012 award as the Canadian Garden Tourism Event of the Year. It attracts about 20,000 visitors every year and is considered the biggest gardening event in Quebec, with some one hundred exhibitors and thousands of plants for sale by the Botanical Garden and many producers from across Quebec.

Information (schedules, workshops, talks): montrealspaceforlife.ca

IMPORTANT
As in previous years, the Botanical Garden and the Insectarium will not be participating in the Montréal Museums Day, since it coincides with the Great Gardening Weekend.

This event is organized in cooperation with the Friends of the Montréal Botanical Garden. We wish to thank our official partner, Pro-Mix. Our thanks also to Fleurs, Plantes et Jardins.

Acknowledgments
The Montréal Space for Life, which brings together the Biodôme, Botanical Garden, Insectarium and Planetarium, is launching a daring, creative urban movement, urging everyone to rethink the bonds between humankind and nature. The Space for Life is also a place where people come together to create and to cultivate a new way of living, shaped by Montrealers and people from around the world.

 

 

Karine Jalbert, Communications Co-ordinator
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] 

Francois Ouellet, Marketing Representative
Telephone: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]

Visual available on request