Hudson Garden Club - Quebec

06/18/2026

The Fédération des sociétés d’horticulture et d’écologie du Québec compiled a 2026 list of Quebec gardens to visit. We have seen a few on Hudson Garden Club tours but how many have you visited?

https://fsheq.com/des-jardins-a-visiter

06/18/2026

Hudson Garden Club was graciously invited to tour the spectacular gardens of Céline Arsenault where we got to enjoy a large variety of peonies, irises, alliums and more! Truly a collectors garden!

06/18/2026

Thank you to Maritsa from Oh Fleurs in Hudson for the stimulating and creative demonstration on floral designing and for the tips we can try at home! While she used some things that may be in your garden already like peonies, ninebark, raspberry leaves, and yarrow you can also visit her shop to grab lisianthus, snapdragons, ranunculus and more. The tallest arrangement was raffled off and went home with one lucky winner! 💐🍀🤩

06/14/2026

This Tuesday June 16, Floral Arranging demonstration by Maritsa Kastamoulas from Oh Fleurs at St James Anglican Church, 7:30pm.

Maritsa Kastamoulas is the owner and creative force behind Oh Fleurs! a floral studio based in Hudson, Quebec. With a background in fine arts, her work blends color, texture, and movement to create arrangements that feel both intentional and expressive. Since starting Oh Fleurs! in her basement in 2018, she has grown the business into a destination for weddings, events, workshops, and everyday florals-known for designs that feel personal, artistic, and never one-size-fits-all. Her approach is rooted in creativity and intuition, with a focus on creating florals that tell a story and leave a lasting impression.

In this in-person demonstration, Maritsa will take us through small and medium floral arrangements with tips and tricks that you can take home and try yourself!

Maritsa Kastamoulas is the owner and creative force behind Oh Fleurs!, a floral studio based in Hudson, Quebec. With a background in fine arts, her work

05/22/2026

🌱 The Spring Plant Sale is tomorrow! 🌱 Starting at 9:30am and ends at noon or when we sell out at Cardinal Brewing. Bring cash and a container for your purchases!

NOTE FOR MEMBERS DONATING PLANTS: Your plants, labeled and potted, will be gratefully received from 8:30 to 9:30am.

https://hgcquebec.org/event/spring-plant-sale-cardinal-brewing/

05/20/2026

Happy World Bee Day!

🐝 World Bee Day is a reminder that pollinators are not one-size-fits-all.

In the Wild Ones webinar, “Bees Beyond Honey,” we explored the roles of native, solitary, and managed bees and why supporting pollinators means understanding those differences, not simplifying them.

Native bees are doing critical work all around us, often unnoticed. And how we garden, what we plant, and how we manage landscapes all shape whether they can thrive. 🌿

Watch the full conversation and take action for native bees: https://wildones.org/understanding-native-and-managed-pollinators/

📷 Brown-belted-Bumblebee (Bombus griseocollis) by Marie Johnston, Wild Ones - Menomonee River Area Chapter Chapter

05/14/2026

Look at that sessile-leaf bellwort!

Thank you to our garden club member Katinka for these lovely macros and group shots from our guided hike through Creek 53 and thank you to Creek 53 Trustees and Botanist Frieda Beauregard for a marvelous and very informative Tour. Fiducie de conservation du ruisseau 53 - Creek 53 Conservancy Trust

You can read more from last year's tour here:
https://creek53.org/blogs/news/gone-in-a-flash-rooted-in-wonder

05/14/2026

📌 Our May Speaker event is coming up! Join us for a talk by Céline Arsenault on Peonies and Their Perfect Partners May 19, 7:30PM at St. James Church. 📌

After retiring in 2015 from her role as a botanist and librarian at the Montreal Botanical Garden, Céline devoted herself to creating a one-acre cottage-style garden in Saint-Lazare. Her garden features nearly 400 varieties of peonies, complemented by irises, daylilies, lilies and other perennials. She is an active board member of both the Société Québécoise de la Pivoine and the Canadian Peony Society. Céline is also an avid blogger and amateur floral designer. You can find her online at https://countryhomeandblooms.com/ where she shares her passion through her blog and social media.

Peonies may be the stars in Céline’s garden, but every great performance needs a supporting cast. In this Talk, you will learn about peonies, how to grow them, and the companion plants that keep the garden in tune all summer long.

https://hgcquebec.org/event/celine-arsenault-peonies-and-their-perfect-partners/

After retiring in 2015 from her role as a botanist and librarian at the Montreal Botanical Garden, Céline devoted herself to creating a one-acre cottage-style

05/13/2026

A reminder from Le Nichoir to check for nests before cutting hedges, or wait until the end of the season.

🪺⚠️Vous prévoyez couper vos haies de cèdres? Prenez quelques minutes pour vérifier s’il y a des nids avant de commencer. ⚠️🪺

Chaque année, Le Nichoir reçoit de nombreux oisillons à la suite de la coupe de haies où ils nichaient. Il s’agit d’oisillons en parfaite santé, dont les parents s’occupaient activement.

Cette semaine, nous avons admis 13 oisillons de 3 espèces différentes, tous provenant d’une même haie de cèdres coupée. 😓

Ces jeunes oiseaux auraient dû grandir dans la nature sous les soins de leurs parents et non en centre de réhabilitation. Même avec les meilleurs soins possibles, rien ne remplace l’apprentissage naturel offert par les parents.

💡 Avant de tailler une haie :

Vérifiez attentivement la présence de nids, d’œufs ou d’oisillons.
Gardez en tête que les nids peuvent être très bien cachés.
Si possible, planifiez la taille en dehors de la période de nidification principale (généralement de mai à juillet, bien que certaines espèces nichent jusqu’en septembre).

⚖️ Rappel : les nids de la majorité des espèces d’oiseaux au Québec sont protégés par la loi. Il est donc interdit de les déplacer ou de les détruire.

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🪺⚠️ Planning to trim or remove your cedar hedges? Take a few minutes to check for nests before you begin. ⚠️🪺

Every year, Le Nichoir receives many baby birds after the hedges they were nesting in are cut down. These are healthy nestlings that were actively being cared for by their parents.

Just yesterday, we admitted 13 baby birds from 3 different species, all coming from a single trimmed cedar hedge. 😓

These young birds should have grown up in the wild under the care of their parents, not in a rehabilitation centre. Even with the best possible care, nothing can replace the natural learning and upbringing provided by their parents. 🐣

💡 Before trimming a hedge:
• Carefully check for nests, eggs, or baby birds.
• Keep in mind that nests can be very well hidden.
• If possible, schedule trimming outside the main nesting season (generally May through July, although some birds may continue nesting into September).

⚖️ Reminder: The nests of most bird species in Quebec are protected by law. It is therefore illegal to move or destroy them.