Get Ready to Garden and Save Big with Fundy Gardeners 2026

 Spring is Here: Get Ready to Garden and Save Big with Fundy Gardeners 

Finally, the days are getting longer, the birds are chirping, and the smell of fresh earth is in the air. Spring has officially arrived, and it's time to get our hands dirty in the garden!

After a long, cold winter, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing those first little sprouts of green. It's a season of hope, growth, and endless possibilities for your outdoor space. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this is the perfect time to plan your dream garden, fill your pots with colorful flowers, and nurture your own fresh herbs and vegetables.

Ready to get started? Here are a few tips for getting your garden spring-ready:

• Prep the soil: Add compost or manure to nourish your soil and prepare it for planting.

• Clean up: Remove any debris, dead leaves, and weeds from your garden beds.

• Plan your planting: Decide what you want to grow and where you want to plant it.

• Start seeds indoors: Get a head start on your gardening season by starting seeds indoors.

 

And to celebrate the arrival of spring, club members receive a discount from the supporting businesses see the discount list on the blog or go to  Discounts page.

 This is the perfect opportunity to stock up on all your gardening needs,

This offer is valid until [Insert Expiration Date]. Don't miss out on this incredible chance to save!

Remember to show your 2026 membership at the start of your purchase.

Fundy Gardeners October Meeting

🌸🌿 What a Wonderful Gardening Season! 🌿🌸

As summer comes to a close, we’re celebrating the joy, learning, and community shared by the Fundy Gardener Clubacross Greater Saint John.

🌱 Our mission: “To provide a forum for gardeners to share their interest in and enthusiasm for gardening.”

✨ This season we enjoyed:
🌼 18 scheduled Garden Tours
🌼 8 surprise “Pop-Up” Tours
🌼 A special 30th Anniversary Garden Tour & Celebration 🎉
🌼 3 tours kindly hosted by non-members
🌼 Seasons in the Garden – where two gardening mentors shared tips and showed how their gardens change from spring to fall

From Saint Martins to Kingston Peninsula, from Rothesay to Hampton, and every corner in between, our gardeners opened their gates, shared their passion, and welcomed fellow garden lovers. 💚

👏 A big thank you to all the gardeners who hosted tours and events — your hard work and pride shone through!

🌟 Special thanks as well to our tour organizers and our amazing email guru for keeping everything running smoothly and everyone connected.

Here’s to another season of growing, sharing, and celebrating the joy of gardening together! 🌿💚🌸

Car Boot Sale - June 11th

 No Boots for sale, put Garden Plants and other Garden Items. 

Fundy Gardeners meeting. April 2nd,

 

Fundy Gardeners April Meeting – Join Us!

Spring is here, and so is our next Fundy Gardeners meeting! 🌿🌸 

Wednesday, April 2nd, at 7 PM at St. James-the-Less Church in Rothesay.

This month, we’re thrilled to welcome Oksana Posatka from Galbraith Florists, who will be presenting "Blooming Sustainability: Rethinking Floral Practices for a Greener Future."

Please remember to bring and wear your membership card.

Volunteers Needed!
Setting up the hall/gym at 6 PM, and I’d appreciate any helping hands. 

The business meeting will be held in the church so their team can dismantle their stage.

Membership Renewal / Door Prizes / 50/50 Tickets
Membership renewals for 2025 will be available:
🌱 $20 per individual
🌱 $30 per spouse/partner

50/50 tickets will also be available—don't miss your chance!

Sharing Table
We’re bringing back the Sharing Table! If you have extra seeds, bulbs, cuttings, plants, or any garden-related items, feel free to bring them along. These treasures are free for members to take.

🌿 Fundy Gardens March Meeting – Wednesday, March 5, 2025 🌿

 🌿 March Meeting – Wednesday, March 5, 2025 - 7:00 P.M. 🌿

We can’t wait to see everyone in person again!

This month, we’re excited to welcome Kevin and Mary Armstrong from Weatherbys Peak Berry Orchard as our guest speakers. They’ll be ja Haskap jam, jelly and syrup. so don’t miss this opportunity! Please remember that plants cannot be brought into the Sanctuary—be sure to place your purchases in your vehicle before the presentation begins.

🌱 The Sharing Table is Back! 🌱

Bring along any gardening items you’d like to give away—seeds, cuttings, plants, bulbs, pots, tools, and more. Last year’s exchange was a big success, so let’s keep the tradition going!

🌼 2025 Memberships Available!

Purchase yours between 6:30 - 7:00 PM

💲 $20 Single | 💲 $30Couple

Membership Perks Include:

🌿 Connecting with fellow gardeners

📚 Monthly meetings with engaging, knowledgeable speakers

🎁 Door prizes, giveaways & delicious refreshments

🛍️ Discounts (10-21%) at 20+ garden centers & nurseries

🌸 Workshops, plant sales & auctions

🚌 Garden tours, bus trips & mystery tours

🎉 Special garden events & seasonal celebrations

🎄 Annual Christmas potluck & more!

A huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers—your dedication keeps our club thriving! See you there! 💚

September 2024 Meeting

 

Fundy Gardeners - Agenda   Meeting at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - at St. James The Less   FG Mission:  To provide a forum for gardeners to share their interest in  and enthusiasm for gardening
1.	Welcome	Chair, Judith Arbow
2.	Introduction of Speaker “Developing a Fern Gallery & Rock Wall” Jim Goltz	Lynn Kinsella
	15 minute break.  Get to know someone new to you!Wear/show your membership card.  Seed swap, sharing table	All
3.	Business Meeting	Chair, Judith Arbow Scribe: Yolanda Kippers
a.	Meeting Agenda – for approval as circulated unless errors or modifications are identified
b.	Minutes of June 5, for approval as circulated unless errors or modifications are identified
4.	New Business
a.	Treasurer’s Report	Paula Manuel
b.	Committee Chair Updates   (Workshops, Garden Tours, Bus Tours, Discounts, Special Projects, Nominations, Publicity)	Committee Chairs
5.	Announcements  • BBQ, September 15, 2024 • “Enjoy Life Expo for 50+”	Judith Arbow
6.	Review Action Items (if any)	Judith Arbow
7.	Door Prizes, 50/50, Book Sales update	Trish Dorrans/Lynn Matthews Ann Marie Patterson Elaine Hooper
8.	Next Meeting – 7:00 pm on October 2, 2024 In person at St. James The Less

Fundy Gardeners Monthly Meeting June 5,2024

 Join us for our upcoming meeting at St James the Less church in Rothesay.

Curtis Stever, will speak on the topic of vegetable gardening and will answer your questions on growing vegetables and herbs.  Curtis is an Organic Master Gardener and owner/grower at Long Reach Roots Ltd. 

See you on Wednesday, June 5 at 7pm. 🍅🍆🥦🌶🌽🥕🫑🧅

April 2024 Monthly Fundy Gardeners Meeting

Get ready to embrace the green-thumb spirit because our next garden gathering at St. James The Less 1760 Rothesay Road ,Rothesay  is just around the corner! Join us on April 3rd at 7:00 p.m. for an evening filled with Garden inspiration and camaraderie.

• Guest Speaker - Carole Lulham: Discover the art of "Creating a Living Wall"

                 Get ready to elevate your gardening game with innovative ideas!

🌿 Event Highlights:

• Seed Swap and Sharing Table: Arrive a bit early to indulge in our seed swap and sharing table. Let's exchange gardening treasures and kickstart our spring with new additions to our green spaces.
• We have some roles to fill, so consider volunteering for positions like Vice-President, Garden Tour planner, or assisting with meeting setup at St. James The Less. Your involvement fuels our garden community's vitality!

🌸 Membership Renewals:
Don't forget to renew your membership or sign up as a new member! Paula Manuel will be available starting at 6:30 p.m. with membership options: $20 for singles and $30 for couples (cash only).

🌱 Sharing Table Contributions:

For our April and May meetings, please bring any extra cuttings, sedums, dahlia tubers, gladiolus corms, summer bulbs, seedlings, or leftover seeds from March's meeting to share. Let's continue the spirit of generosity and help one another thrive in the upcoming growing season.

Let's cultivate a community of green thumbs together! See you all on April 3rd.

Monthly Meeting & Seed Exchange - March 6,2024

Our meeting on March 6 will be the first in 2024 face-to-face at St. James The Less. 

Guest Speaker

Peter LeBlanc owner of Kennebecasis Orchard talk about their acres of farmland along the beautiful Kennebecasis River at 143 Meenans Cove Road  which consists of a well groomed apple u-pick,  with many varieties (HoneyCrisp Gala,Cortland Ambrosia ,Nova and Mac) available ;;;;as well as pumpkins, squash and garlic.   The orchard was  officially opened in 2022 after years of planting and grooming.   It is owned  and operated by Peter and Caroline LeBlanc,,,and managed by their daughter Amy Watson. 

Seed Exchange 

 "At the March 6 meeting members are invited to bring seeds to share or exchange. These could also be ones you have gathered from your own garden. There will be small bags provided and labels. If you have swamp milkweed seeds to share, bring those along for the Monarch butterflies. This could become an annual exchange if members want to take advantage of this opportunity and show an interest".

January Fundy Gardeners Club Meeting

 Our first Fundy Gardeners Club for 2024 will take place via zoom on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 7pm. Our speaker, Helen Battersby, will be regaling us with her presentation on Irish gardens.

 Irish Gardens – Prehistoric, Historic, and Modern Inspiring armchair garden travel to the glorious Emerald Isle from a Neolithic farm site on the scenic west coast to Victorian garden estates and the contemporary creations of siblings Jimi and June Blake, enjoy an eyeful of ideas with a side order of history in this inspiring and colourful presentation.

November Fundy Gardens - rescheduled to Wednesday, 8 November.

 Please be advised that the Jim Wilson Presentation, 

Registration for 2024 memberships and Annual General Meeting have been rescheduled to Wednesday, 8 November. 

Details will follow in another email. For the convenience of those who were not able to attend the October meeting, a draft of the minutes is attached below.

Fundy Gardeners Month Meeting June 7,7:00 P.M

 

This months  guest speaker is Carola Mansel, a Garden Designer based in Cambridge-Narrows, known for her sustainable and natural residential garden designs. With a background in landscape architecture and a passion for blending art and science, Carola creates harmonious spaces that connect with the surrounding environment. Her gardens impress with simplicity, rustic elegance, and a focus on the "imperfections" of nature, leaving visitors with a sense of humility and gratitude. Through her work, Carola aims to provide comfort and meet the diverse needs of homeowners while creating sanctuaries that inspire

She will cover all aspects of garden design, the design goals, foundations and principles, as well as how to start the design process and tips and tricks.

Monthly Meeting April 12., The 2023 "How to Photograph Your Garden" Members Only

 

-

Freeman Patterson is a renowned photographer, author, and teacher of visual design and a longtime member of Fundy Gardeners. He is well-known for his unique approach to gardening, which involves incorporating both temporary and permanent aspects of the natural environment into his garden designs. This approach results in beautiful and harmonious landscapes that seamlessly blend with the surrounding habitat.

Freeman's garden in Shamper’s Bluff, NB, is a thriving garden that features over 150 different varieties of rhododendrons and 50 species of azaleas, with a total of more than 1000 plants in all. Freeman's garden serves as a testament to his skill in creating beautiful and harmonious landscapes.

In his upcoming presentation, "How to Photograph your Garden," Freeman will showcase his garden and several other outstanding Canadian gardens. He will use his stunning photographic talents to capture the beauty and inspiration of these remarkable spaces. Attendees can expect to learn valuable tips and tricks for capturing the essence of their own gardens through photography. Whether you're an experienced photographer or just starting out, Freeman's presentation is sure to be both informative and inspiring.

Quispamsis Engagement Session - Building Connected Communities: Adapting to the Climate Crisis Through Nature

Link to the above seminar

https://nben.ca/en/get-involved/events/all-events/climate-change-adaptation-collaborative/rki-engagement-sessions/650-rki-engagement-quispamsis.html

February 1,2023- Monthly Meeting

 Todd Boland will be sharing, via zoom at 7:00 P.M  his experience and expertise growing native plants. He is the horticulturist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, where he designs and maintains six acres of horticultural plantings.A prolific photographer, writer and international lecturer, he has authored six photographic field guides on the flora of Atlantic Canada including Trees and Shrubs of the Maritimes and The Wildflowers of New Brunswick.   More recently he has completed his third gardening book, this one co-authored with Nova Scotian Jamie Ellison, entitled Gardening for Acidic Soils.

Monthly Meeting Jan 11-2023- via Zoom

 

This month's guest speaker is Robyn Shortt, a fine art nature photographer who lives and works in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  Robyn has a background in both biology and art. She is happiest working out in nature, observing and photographing plants, animals and landscapes.

Her presentation, “Fleeting moments of perfection on the border of order and Wildness.” shows a collection of garden photographs made in Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton, and New Brunswick, with a discussion on how photographing gardens which have shaped her perspective on nature photography and art.  This love and perspective towards nature can be seen at https://www.robynshortt.com. 

Dec Meeting Dec 7 -2022 @7pm

Saint James the Less Church, 170 Rothesay Rd

Mask wearing Recommended

Presentation- Around the world in 20 minutes- a visual journey with Jan and Peter Wilshaw

In the Gym - Christmas Treats /Refreshments /Book sales

PLEASE BRING YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MUG

Fundy Gardner’s 2022 Garden Tour visual Tour by Steve Nason’s

Door prizes

50/50 Draw

Next meeting ( Zoom)- Wednesday 4 Jan 2023 @7 pm speaker TBA

Fundy Gardeners Monthly Meeting Nov 2,2022

 Owls!!! Voices in the Night 

Jim has always had a strong interest in nature, and birds in particular. This comes from his Dad, who painted, sketched and carved birds and animals as a hobby. When he was just a little boy his father took him for walks in the woods on his shoulders because Jim was too small to walk that far. A retired Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA), he now has more time to spend in the field observing and taking photographs, which he loves to share with interested audiences. Jim has had the privilege of serving in a number of related roles as a volunteer, including President of the Saint John Naturalists' Club, Chair of the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund and Chair of the B Bird Records Committee. He provides weekly comments on birds for the Sightings page of the Telegraph-Journal newspaper and contributes from time to time to CBC Radio, discussing nature-related topics.

In 2018 Jim was awarded the national Roland Mitchener Conservation Award by the Canadian Wildlife Federation for outstanding conservation research, and in 2019 was invested into the Order of New Brunswick for his long-term commitment to conservation in this province.