NEW SERIES ALERT!!! The Simcoe County Master Gardeners are taking you on a tour of Gardens Not to Be Missed.
By Gail Cocker, Master Gardener, SCMG
By late May the buds are starting to swell on the peonies in my garden and this is my cue to take a look at https://www.oshawa.ca/things-to-do/whats-blooming-now.asp to see what is blooming in the Oshawa Peony Garden. If you love the sumptuousness of a fat peony in bloom, then you may want to make a trip to see this fabulous garden of peony delights. Every year bloom time is different, so it is always worth checking before you make the drive.
The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens (OVBG) is home to one of the largest contemporary peony collections with over 300 varieties of peonies. The blooms begin in late May and usually continue to the last week in June.
The OVBG is located in Kinsmen Valleyview Park, 155 Arena St., Oshawa (https://www.oshawa.ca/Modules/Facilities/Detail.aspx?CategoryIds=&FacilityTypeIds=1,12,3&Keywords=&Page=8&Scroll=true&id=ff40304f-6ea6-4a56-baef-9f5266508e32). The OBVG is a network of parks and gardens along the Oshawa Creek and is linked by a bike path. The gardens are an extension of the beautiful Parkwood Gardens on the R.S. McLauglin Estate.
The Peony Garden began from a donation of 100 plants from the Canadian Peony Society in 2001. Since then further donations have expanded the collection.
Each year in June the City of Oshawa presents a Peony Festival to celebrate the collections. Besides the stunning blooms there is live music, food, garden inspired artistic exhibits, gardening seminars and cultural performances for the whole family. The Canadian Peony Society judged Peony Show and photo contest provides plenty of inspiration.
Hours:
April 1 to October 31 – 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. November 1 to March 31 – 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
STAY TUNED for our next instalment of Gardens Not to Be Missed… coming April 15!
