St. Margaret's Bay Gardening Club is a 30 year old club for avid gardeners who want to learn more about various aspects of growing perennials, vegetables, annuals and specialty plants. We offer programs eight times a year. We also offer garden-related workshops and occasional garden tours. We founded and continue to maintain a community perennial garden called The Crossroads Garden. For basic club info, see our "About" page! Timely info below! NOTE: - if you are a paid single member , you can UPGRADE to a Family Membership for $10.00 to take part in the upcoming Valley Nursery Bus Tour. (See image and instructions above it. On your mobile device, scroll to the bottom. ) Send a SEPARATE etransfer for $10 to smbgardeningclub@gmail.com with a note in the etransfer and an email to the club as well, please, with your full contact info, advising that you are upgrading in order to have a family member attend the tour for the member price. We need this information to avoid confusion, as some folks who are family may have a different surname. Non-members will now be able to register for the tour on May 21st! club email address is: smbgardeningclub@gmail.com Join the club!! Even though our regular meeting sessions are now over until September, we have events for members only, some free, some paid. For info on upcoming events for members, email us! New memberships for 2026-2027 will be due after August 31st, 2026. Steps for joining: Step One Fill in the form at this link - please read the intro for the information you'll need. https://forms.gle/yhJtkpXigR75s7uv5 Please read the whole "step two." (this info is also on the form) Step Two Pay by e-transfer to smbgardeningclub@gmail.com making sure you put a "message" on your e-transfer with some identifying info. If you prefer to pay by cash or cheque, you can do that at a meeting. Click image below for registration form Click poster image below for more info on Planting with Pride! or visit https://www.stmargaretsbaypride.c a/ Our Sponsors, Advertisers and Supporters appreciate your patronage year-round!

This is our event calendar and if you click on the event, more information will appear.

St. Margarets Bay Gardening Club Gardeners Helping Gardeners We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month, at 7:00 Sept - Nov/Jan - May in the meeting room at the Tantallon Library. Please note, this is a new time and a new venue! Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings! Site Plan Section 7 Crossroads Garden Return to Main Plan Highway #3 Instructions - click on a photo - it will enlarge - when done click again, it will return to spot on diagram THEN - to link to an information site, click on ? - when done close the page to return to the site plan ?

It was no surprise that the SMBGC members responded with great generosity, driving by on planting day with large quantities of donations from their own gardens. The Lions Club provided funding to purchase evergreens. Donations were also made by Unlimited Country and Heirloom Rose Nursery. One of the heartwarming stories illustrating the commitment of individuals who contributed to the garden is told about Dorothy Hill who, in her 80s, meticulously planted the row of Lady's Mantle in such a way as to enhance the curve of the bed which still continues to capture the observer's eye and draw one into the essence of the garden. Some of the earliest donated plants in the garden were geraniums, hostas, phlox and dianthus. Early purchases were blue rug junipers, wooly thyme, veronica and roses. Thirteen varieties of daylilies (139 plants) in shades of yellow, red, pink and peach and with staggered bloom times became the foundation plants for the garden and still grace it today. Working in pairs, a rotation of members was organized to maintain the garden from June to September. In July of 1998 a plaque of acknowledgment was presented to SMBGC on behalf of the business community. Not only had the project beautified the area, it had created a sense of pride among businesses that also began to improve their immediate landscapes. Since its inception, the SMBGC has continued to purchase plants from provincial retailers and from within the club bulk orders as well as accept donated plants from members. Interest in the creation of year-round architectural interest has increased the use of shrubs in the garden. A map of the garden was maintained for a time at Unlimited Country to assist gardeners in identifying plants which they might wish to acquire for their own gardens. Members continue to lead development of the garden and participate in its maintenance. The maintenance is currently achieved through 20 individuals on two work teams, each meeting at the garden on a bi-monthly basis. Those assuming the role of garden coordinators have included Eileen Carrier, Ruth Ann Moger, Carole Ross and Jerry Walsh. [We acknowledge a gap in the history from 2000 to 2010 and welcome further input from members to identify past coordinators and key activities]. In 2010 a rock retaining wall was built to prevent slope erosion and improve the view of the garden from Highway No. 3. Once again this was a joint effort between Wayne Redmond, who contracted the excavator and provided soil, and the many volunteers who painstakingly moved plants from the path of the backhoe and then replanted them. The SMBGC took this opportunity to divide mature plants and offered some for purchase in its first public plant sale. Revenue generated from the sale has been allocated for ongoing garden maintenance and development. A larger sign was erected in the garden to profile the role of the SMBGC. In 2011 the garden was expanded through the addition of eleven shrubs in a new oval bed measuring approximately 25 feet by 15 feet. In addition, an educational project was initiated to inform members of the club and the community who, after seeing the plants in the Crossroads Garden, are considering planting the same in their own gardens. The club is in the early stages of labeling individual plants and has begun (but not completed) a site map. All plants will be recorded as they are acquired and as many of the existing plants already in the ground as possible will be identified. Photos of individual plants are being taken and will be linked to the site plan as part of a visual web-based reference of the garden. The plan is to provide links from each image to a resource site which will provide information about the plants characteristics and growing conditions. The project is targeted for completion during 2012. < PREV Return to Home Page

St. Margarets Bay Gardening Club Gardeners Helping Gardeners We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month, at 7:30 Sept - Nov/Jan - May Crossroads Garden img_3493 [640x480] img_6752 img_6779 img_6777 img_6776 img_3502 [640x480] Show More

St. Margarets Bay Gardening Club Gardeners Helping Gardeners We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month, at 7:00 Sept - Nov/Jan - May in the meeting room at the Tantallon Library. Please note, this is a new time and a new venue! Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings! Past Workshops - Pruning Perennials (Oct. 2010) - Soil pH, Liming and Plant Nutrition (May 2011) - Starting Seeds and Seedlings - March 2012 Benefits - If you keep your Membership Card with you, you are eligible! (if you don't have your card, it will be on the table at the next meeting, or you can contact Paula to get it sooner. teamwork@hfx.eastlink.ca ) Many garden centres offer discounts to members of gardening clubs! Redmond's Hardware (at the Crossroads) - 10% off all Laguna pond supplies FREE workshops put on by the club Opportunities to order Perennials, Compost, Trees and Shrubs through Club bulk orders. more benefits to come! Attend the NSAGC Convention at a reduced rate. Their link is on our home page. Workshops - Three workshops are coming in the spring 2013... Pruning, Creating a Living Wreath and Tool Sharpening. Stay tuned for dates and more info. These are only for paid members. FREE WORKSHOPS for our paid members - our membership is only $15.00 - The fee is not pro-rated, but it is always to your benefit to join! On Saturday, March 23rd, from 10am to noon, the St. Margaret's Bay Gardening Club will be holding a free Tool Sharpening Workshop for paid SMBGC Members. Mr. Andrew Lowe from Lee Valley Tools will be presenting the workshop at St. Luke's United Church in Upper Tantallon (entrance at rear of building on lower level). Andrew will break down the procedure of sharpening into a 5 step process. Identify EdgeType /Clean /Sharpen /Adjust & Lube. Attendance at this event is restricted to SMBGC members only and seating is limited to 20. Andrew is allowing each attendee to bring in one tool for sharpening and he said that the more difficult the edge the better. To reserve your spot for this workshop, please email stephenrob@bellaliant.net . (note - you may have to cut and paste the address to your e-mail "to" line.) With seating limited to 20 people, if you're sharp you'll want to get your request in early. Tool Sharpening! was held on March 23rd Coming up Next! Pruning! Lloyd Mapplebeck's Spring Pruning Workshop is taking place this Sunday, May 5th from 2-4 pm at the Tantallon Pubic Library. Lloyd is an associate professor at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Plant and Animal Science. While we won't be venturing outside, Lloyd will be bringing plant specimens to demonstrate pruning techniques. Guaranteed that if you are shy about using the shears, you will gain confidence by attending this workshop. Light refreshments will be served. Creating a Living Wreath Stay tuned for:-

St. Margarets Bay Gardening Club Gardeners Helping Gardeners We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month, at 7:00 Sept - Nov/Jan - May in the meeting room at the Tantallon Library. Please note, this is a new time and a new venue! Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings! Site Plan Section 1 Crossroads Garden ? ? ? ? ? ? Instructions - click on a photo - it will enlarge - when done click again, it will return to spot on diagram THEN - to link to an information site, click on ? - when done close the page to return to the site plan Return to Main Plan

Past Gardening Club Workshops Here we'll share slide shows of past workshops, when available. Thank you Penny Irving, for preparing and sharing this presentation on House Plants. (Pictures taken at workshops are often found on our Facebook page here) Click on image to see the slide show House Plant Workshop Workshop Description FIRST FREE WORKSHOP FOR MEMBERS in 2026 Learn how to become a better plant parent to your house plants! Year Round Houseplant Care Workshop Saturday January 24th from 2-4 pm at St. Luke's United Church. Pre-register after reading the description! Last year's workshop was a great success and we were encouraged by attendees to reoffer in 2026. The workshop will be given by Penny Irving, an indoor plant parent and enthusiast who has had a lifetime of experience caring for and propagating indoor plants. Discover secrets to growing beautiful, healthy indoor plants year round. Learn about common pests and how to manage them, proper watering techniques, assess natural light and humidity levels, and how to easily propagate plants from cuttings. Bring a houseplant that needs repotting and we will show you the 'do's and don'ts' of repotting your houseplants. What to Bring: A house plant that needs repotting A pot that is 2 to 4 inches larger in diameter. The pot must have drainage holes. Gloves and pruning scissors We will provide fresh regular potting soil and a variety of reusable plastic garden pots for those who need one. If you are repotting a succulent, cacti or orchid, please bring your own appropriate potting soil. Pre-register Space is limited to 20 people. Please register using this link to the registration form. You will receive a confirmation email once your registration form has been received. https://forms.gle/c2APgJtc86XyT6XM6 IMPORTANT How to transport your plant in winter Place your plant in a plastic bag to catch any water or soil that may spill. then place it in a strong paper bag or box for transport. Wrapping newspaper around your plant will add extra protection from the cold and protect stems and leaves from physical damage. Come straight to the workshop from home with your plant.

Contact us at smbgardeningclub@gmail.com

Our speaker this month will be ROSLYN DUFFUS who will be telling us all about ROCK GARDENS Roslyn started her gardening career as a teenager with vegetable gardening and, after a move that reduced the space for vegetables, became interested in rock gardening and an enthusiast of rock and alpine plants. She enjoys growing things from seed, especially things that are hard to find in nurseries. She'll be talking about many interpretations of rock gardens from nature's version to large botanical rock gardens to private versions and follow with a selection of plants from easy to more challenging. She became a member of the Ontario Rock Garden Society in late 1991 and was able to take advantage of the club seed exchange. She is also a member of the North American Rock Garden Society and a Charter Member and currently Chair of the Nova Scotia Rock Garden Club. Roslyn is also a woodworker and plays the bagpipes!