By Cecilia Nasmith

For their second post-COVID Flower Show and Tea on Aug. 12, the Cobourg Garden Club celebrates the coronation of King Charles III with a number of new design classes.

Following interruptions to their annual show in 2020 and 2021, the club has returned to hosting this celebration of nature's bounty with a wide assortment of exhibits in many categories with classes for annuals, perennials, fruits and vegetables, houseplants, design, preserves and photography.

Floral classes will include separate sections for dahlias, roses, hydrangea, containers and collections as well as shrubs, garden foliage, herbs and ornamental grasses.

And in the design section, the theme Celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III will bring out club members' creativity in illustrating such classes as Jewels in the Crown, A Parade of Flowers, Fireworks, and A Street Party. The Coronation theme continues as well in two photography classes – Red, White and Blue, and Regal Visitors.

The results should be amazing, and you can see for yourself at the Cobourg Public Library (200 Ontario St.) Aug. 12 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The club's press release cites the challenges summer gardens have faced with uneven spring weather, warm April temperatures, and record-breaking days in May.

“Club members are generally very well able to adapt,” it said.

“They garden in different zones, ranging from the lakeside to the surrounding Northumberland hills, each with challenges but also opportunities to grow different plants specific to their garden's micro-climate.”'

The press release also included some history of the club, founded by a group of men in 1859 as the Cobourg Horticultural Society. The monthly meetings with speakers went to Zoom during the pandemic, but it has been continuously active regardless.

Local newspapers faithfully recorded the group's early activities and events. The annual flower show was a highlight of the summer, attracting 500 (a huge number for the time) at its first one in July 1859. There were only three categories then – flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Nowadays, there are flower shows in May, August and December, as well as a popular annual plant sale on the Victoria Day weekend. There are monthly speakers and garden tours (sometimes in association with neighbouring societies), as well as a number of community projects.

These include the Edwin Haynes Memorial Rose Garden in Victoria Park and the Millennium Garden at the Five Corners (where they have recently installed a little free library). You can also see their talents on display on the grounds of such public places as the Golden Plough Lodge, Northumberland Hills Hospital.

As well, the club has for many years presented an annual scholarship to a Cobourg high school graduate pursuing a post-secondary education in horticulture or related studies.

For more information on the Flower Show and Tea, contact convenor Sarah Holland at 905-349-3710 or visit www.cobourggardenclub.org