Celebration of Island Gardening Spring Festival

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Saturday, March 12th, 2011
Friday, 1pm -7:30 pm Saturday, 9:30am - 5pm Sunday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

CVIBGS' annual Spring Festival is the longest continuously running garden show on Vancouver Island and grows in popularity annually. Success is due to the variety of the event's commercial booths and non profit group exhibits.

As a sample of what to expect, shoppers can check out the first of the season garden items from Green Thumb Nursery, Hazelwood Herb Farm, or Turley's Florists & Potting Shed, etc, or stop at the Harbour City Chiropractic Inc booth for a free consultation, or pick up a tasty treat from Golden Maples Farm or 24 Carrot Catering. Need help with landscaping? Envi Landscapes and Keltie Chamberlain Landscape Design and Consulting will be on the scene. Stop at the Gardening on the Go booth for information on yard maintenance. If you are a bird watcher, you will want to drop in at the Backyard & Wildbird Nature Store. Those looking for that special gift for a friend or a unique art piece for their patio garden, may find it at the booths of Judith Madsen or Gem Fabrications Gates and Gifts. For the kids, Milner Garden's Shoots with Roots program offers free activities.

Look for details of these and all exhibitors and sponsors on our website and local papers.

A keynote speaker program is the other fundamental behind this event's broad appeal and sets it apart from most other garden shows. The 2011 Festival�s theme is on Sustainable Gardening and Horticulture Education - Des Kennedy, Dirk Becker and Carolyn Herriot, plus many more are included in the admission. Make & Take workshops - are available to the public. Master Gardeners are on hand to answer horticulture questions.

This Festival has something for everyone, from the most ardent horticulturist or landscaper to hobbyists, new homeowners, environmentalists and educators plus an outstanding children's program. This friendly community based venue includes free musical interludes by local artists.

All net proceeds from the show, which is organized entirely by volunteers, are donated by the Central Vancouver Island Botanical Garden Society (CVIBGS) towards the development of a mid-island botanical garden. Under a partnership agreement with Vancouver Island University, the CVIBGS provides financial support towards new demonstration gardens, designed and constructed by the University's Horticultural Technician program, at the G.R Paine Horticultural Centre and open to the public. Watch for the Festival's detailed program of events on our website, in the Nanaimo Bulletin or the Free Daily.