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About Us

Qualicum Beach Garden Club & the Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

History by June Strandberg, photos by Kirsten Juergensen

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Our group officially came into being October 2013 – previously we were a Special Interest Group, part of Qualicum Beach Garden Club.  

 

As we – The SIG Alpines and Rock Garden Plants – leave the QBGC and go our own way we wonder how the SIGs came into being.  We did know they started when Linda Rehlinger was president so we asked Linda and here is her reply:

“I think that I was President of the QBGC in the 2005-2006 year.  While I was Vice-President JoAnne Moger and I were talking about the Salt Spring Island Garden Club’s Special Interest Groups and we thought that it would be a good thing to try to get some started here, so when I took over as President it was one of the things that I put forward.  I was very pleased when you and Eswyn agreed to mentor a Rock and Alpine Group.”

Our SIGs began in the spring of 2005. Linda says she thinks there were 9 or 10 sheets set out that year and she remembers West Coast Basics, Vegetable Gardening, Hypertufa and Propagation forming groups. (If anyone remembers more please let us know) The Alpine and Rock Garden Group was not one of the first.  Eswyn was in the middle of writing her book about War Brides and too busy to take on more garden projects and I was not prepared to start without her – so we waited.

In the spring of 2006 Eswyn was feeling comfortable with the progress of her book so off we went with 14 members!!  On March 27th 2006 we had our first meeting at my house learning about soil mixes, when and how to sow our seeds – Eswyn gave a demonstration showing several methods of sowing, including aftercare as well as equipment needed.

March 27, 2006, L: Eswyn giving her seed starting demo at the first meeting, 

R Eswyn, Linda, Joy Smith, Dorothy, Odette, Sandy and Mary Blair

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I gave a demo on how and when to take cuttings and the use of hormones and Eswyn wrote her first Newsletter – she wrote 27 in all before she died in July 2009.  September 27th 2013 would have been her 90th birthday.

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Today there are 10 Special Interest Groups associated with QBGC.  They contain something for everyone, gain us many new members and keep the club vibrant and alive!

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Thank you Qualicum Beach Garden Club for nurturing us all these years and thank you JoAnne and Linda for finding the SIGs and thank you Saltspring Island Garden Club for showing us the way.

Hypertufa Troughs

May 29, 2006, L; JoAnne Moger, R: Linda Rehlinger, when we planted up hypertufa troughs made by the Hypertufa Group to be sold at the St. Mark’s Fair.

Barb Lemoine and Jo D’Ath Shiu at Barbara Kulla’s.

Lorraine S, Karen, TBI, Barbara, Nicola, Valerie, Loraine W, JoAnne at Liz’s house when Gordon Mackay gave propagation demo 31.05.11

Tufa planting demo

L: Louise, Dorothy, JoAnn, R: Feb 27, 2012 – Mike doing Tufa planting demo at PCC

Garden Tour

A visit to Linda Rehlinger’s in Coombs, probably July 31, 2006

Can anyone identify this occasion?

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