Upcoming Events

The Cowichan Valley Garden Club’s Spring Flower Show and Afternoon Tea is Back 

This very popular annual community event is back at St. Peter’s Church Hall, 5800 Church Road in Duncan, after a 3 year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions. From 1:00 to 4:00 on Saturday May 27, a beautiful display of floral designs, Spring flowers and plant cuts, and potted plants will be on display.

Visitors will be able to view hundreds of exhibits showcasing the bountiful Spring plants and flowers of the Cowichan Valley and the talents of the Valley’s floral designers; enjoy a delicious afternoon tea; and watch demonstrations of floral design throughout the afternoon.

Admission to the event is $5.00, free to youth 16 years and under, and includes entry to a Door Prize Draw. The afternoon tea is $5.00.

This is a Judged Show, open to all. There is no entry fee. $200 in prize money will be awarded to entries in various Classes of the Show. Gardeners and floral designers throughout the Valley and beyond are encouraged to enter the competition. Members of the Vancouver Island Horticultural Judging Group judge the entries. The Show Schedule, available at www.cowichanvalleygardenclub.com provides all of the information needed to prepare and enter exhibits.

The Valley Garden Club’s first Spring Flower Show, co-hosted with IODE, was held in 1955. A Spring Show was held by the Club most years until 1961. Then, after a 15 year hiatus, it was reinstituted in 1977, with an added Plant Sale. In 2015, because the combined event had become so popular, large and crowded, it was decided to hold two separate events. In 2023, the Plant Sale will be held on April 29 and the Flower Show and Tea on May 27. More than 50 Club members volunteer to stage each of these events.

For further information about the event, contact:

Marlene Karmann, Publicity Coordinator Tel. 403-651-5191, Email marlene@helmsman.ca

Diane McAmmond, Show Convener  Tel. 250-746-8577, Email diane@skirrow.org

The Cowichan Family Life Association (CFLA) is excited to announce the 27th Annual Garden Tour to be held on Sunday, June 4. 

Seven local garden owners have generously opened their gardens for the public tour this year. The tour is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together to appreciate the beauty of nature while helping community members who are going through difficult times.

Added features this year include a Tea Garden with an artist and musician, and once again the chance to purchase tickets for several raffle prizes made locally or supplied by local businesses. 

The Garden Tour serves as a major fund raiser for the organization and tickets are now on sale at  The Third Addition Toys and Gifts in Mill Bay, Dinter’s Nursery Ltd, Buckerfield’s Supply Store, Volume One Bookstore, Russell Farms Market and Garden Centre.  

Tickets are still $25 each and includes a map of the garden locations.  Raffle tickets will be available from Tina Short – Garden Tour Coordinator or through the CFLA office and during the garden tour itself at each of the gardens.

Garden Tour Questions:  Tina Short, Garden Tour Coordinator, gardentour@cowichanfamilylife.org; 250 710-3088

Kathy Code, CFLA Board Member:  codekat999@gmail.com; 250 418-5313

CFLA provides affordable, if not free, mental health services for individuals and families of the Cowichan Valley and has done so for more than 50 years.  No one is turned away for lack of funds.  Programs include training for volunteer peer counsellors, healing anger, seniors services, communicating with confidence, financial freedom and individual counselling.  Other programs are in the process of development as CFLA responds to community needs.