Membership Information

About Us

If you are interested in gardening, this is the club for you! We meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, except January, at Centennial Lodge in Queens Park. Other activities include the Spring Plant Sale, the Annual Garden Tour and Picnic, a Christmas Dinner and several social outings selected to provide unique gardening experiences.

Meetings are highlighted by invited speakers or special themes. December is the year-end social and awards night.

The member-to-member sharing of gardening ideas is emphasized in the "Bring-to-Share" portions of the meetings.

The Society also financially supports college and university horticultural students through the B.C. Council of Garden Clubs scholarship and bursary programs.

Whether it is a competition award, prizes from the draws or gardening tips and ideas, you will always leave with some treasure and of course - the monthly email.

Tea and goodies, contributed by club members, are shared at every meeting.

Join the club at any one of our meetings. We meet the second Tuesday of the month (except January) at the Centennial Lodge in Queens Park, just below the picnic site.

Annual Fee: $20 (renewed in February)

Individual Meeting Drop-in: $5

For further information, please email us at info@newwesthortsociety.org

A Gentle Reminder
Our meetings are scent free. Due to allergies we ask members and guests to please leave fragrances (perfumes, and other scented products) at home.
If you need to leave before closing comments, please do so as quietly as possible.

A blast from the past...

Our brochure. A little outdated, but mostly still valid! Hopefully this will be updated soon!

Wow! We're Over 80 Years Old!

How did it all start? On March 28, 1934 a group of interested people met at City Hall to hear presentations by the Vancouver Horticultural Society, the Tulip Association and the Burnaby South Horticultural Society. VHS warned against forming an organization only of professional men and big garden owners but to make sure to include the ordinary house-holder who would “develop into an energetic worker”. They advised to hold as many competitions as possible to keep interest alive, but not with the idea of winning prize money, but for the sport and honor of winning.

Lectures should be held every month if possible. The Ladies Auxiliary of the VHS offered its assistance in forming a similar organization. A group was formed to draw up a constitution of NWHS. Three weeks later, on April 18th, 16 people met again at city hall to complete the organization and elect officers. But there was a stalemate on joining because they didn’t know the membership fee. So they set it at $1.

Then how can you elect officers with no membership? It was decided all present could vote. Elections were held and NWHS was born. There was to be a speaker and a Parlour Show every month and the secretary was to notify the members a week ahead as of the show schedule.

The first general meeting of NWHS was held on May 1 with a presentation on tulips and the show judge citing several instances in which good exhibits were disqualified because they did not match the schedule. By the end of 1934, there were 58 paid-up members.

Through the years: As society has changed, so has NWHS. Big horticultural shows, once prominent, are now rare. They used to be a big part of the PNE. During the 50s and the 70s, NWHS received grants from the City of New Westminster to help with their entries. Why? Winning at the PNE was great publicity for the city as it brought honor to New Westminster and its gardens. And we did win big at the PNE! NWHS put on multi-day flower shows open to everyone. Going to a garden show was a social event.

About Our Club

About Us