EVENTS
25th ANNIVERSARY
Celebrating 25 years of peonies in Canada
Our 25th Anniversary Committee will present an amazing overview of the society, including many facets that are perhaps unknown to our members, by interviewing past presidents, volunteers, lifetime members, hybridizers, vendors, growers, and collectors past and present to hear how they all interconnect to support the CPS today.
2023 NATIONAL PEONY SHOW - JUNE 9-11, 2023 – OSHAWA, ONTARIO
You’re invited - this year we are going back to a live show!
Friday June 9
3:00pm‑6:00pm
Peony bloom drop off, Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens Arena
5:00pm‑8:00pm
Meet and Greet Reception, Legends of Fazio Restaurant, Oshawa - Cash bar, light snacks, dinner menu available.
Saturday June 10
7:00am‑8:45am
Peony Bloom drop off, Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens Arena
9:00am‑11:00am
Peony Show Judging, Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens Arena
11:00am‑4:00pm
Peony Show Open - Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens Arena
2:00pm‑4:00pm
Guest speakers, Oshawa Convention Centre, Richmond Hall
click on boxed titles to view full details
2:00pm “Time Capsule, Peonies at the Farm” presented by Blaine Marchand
Canada’s Central Experimental Farm (CEF) located in the middle of Ottawa, has a rich history dating back to 1886 due to its mandate to breed and test new crops suitable for the Canadian climate. Peonies have had a long association with the CEF. William Saunders had astutely collected 150 cultivars and species peonies at the farm. Today the time capsule collection consists of 600 peonies, 400 named varieties including 105 developed by Arthur Percy Saunders the pre-eminent peony breeder of the 21st century. This is perhaps the largest collection of Saunders’ peonies in Canada, possibly the world.
Blaine is an award winning poet and former diplomat. He has been President of the League of Canadian Poets, the Ottawa Horticultural Society and the Canadian Peony Society. Until recently he was a board member of the friends of the CEF and remains a Friends volunteer on the peony team. He and his partner, Jamie Robertson, tend to a collection of over 500 peonies around a 125 year old schoolhouse in Osceola, Ontario.
2:45pm “Spreading Peony Joy” presented by Joan Campbell
In celebration of the Canadian Peony Society’s 25th Anniversary Joan has orchestrated a memorable garden of Canadian Peonies in Stratford, Ontario. She will share with you how this garden came to be, the development of the garden, peony choices and interesting details of this project.
Joan retired from a 42 year career in the non profit and co-operative housing sector. She now spends her time quilting and gardening on 6 acres outside of Branford, Ontario. A peony enthusiast in many ways, Joan is the current secretary on the board of CPS.
3:30pm “Peonies with a Purpose” presented by Tom Harris and Dennis Gebhardt
Tom and Dennis are the owners of Schoolhouse Gardens in Warkworth, Ontario and volunteers at Warkworth Bridge Hospice. They will be sharing the history of Schoolhouse gardens, on growing peonies, and an inspirational presentation of their glorious gardens along with the Bridge Hospice Memory Garden, a serene and peaceful garden with a waterfall that they were instrumental in the creation of.
Tom and Dennis are expert gardeners and very experienced peony growers. They are lifetime members of the Canadian Peony Society and Tom is the former president of the CPS.
5:00pm‑5:30pm
Reception, Oshawa Convention Centre - Cash bar, light snacks
5:30pm‑6:30pm
Annual General Meeting, Oshawa Convention Centre
6:45pm‑7:30pm
Dinner, Oshawa Convention Centre
8:00pm
Auction, Oshawa Convention Centre
Sunday June 11
10:00am‑4:00pm
National Peony Show Open, Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens
10:00am‑4:00pm
Self Driving Garden Tours, Oshawa area
OUR 2023 ZOOM SEMINARS
Add these dates to your calendar so you do not miss out on our peony specialist talks.
You must be a member to participate.
Dr. Patricia Holloway
Adventures in Peony Gardening & Farming in Alaska
Apr 23, 2023 11:30 a.m. Vancouver
ACROSS CANADA
Local and Regional Events Happening Across Canada
June 16-18, 2023
Castlegar Peony Show
Sandman Hotel, Castlegar, BC
Contact: Holly Pender-Love 250-368-6228 hplove8@telus.net
June 17 -18, 2023
Quebec Peony Society Show
Parc Marie-Victorin, Longueuil, QC
June 24-25, 2023
The 2023 Prairie Peony Society show will be held at the Cathedral Community Centre in Regina on June 24-25. The address is 2900 - 13th Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan. Judging Categories will include NOID cultivars, most fragrant peony (as judged by the public), species, herbaceous hybrids, lactifloras and woody peonies, as well as floral displays, goblets, bowls and photographs. Volunteers will be on hand to assist the public with entries.
2023 CPS Lifetime Achievement Award
Purpose of the Award
To recognize individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Society’s activities
Award Criteria
Individuals nominated must have given of themselves to promote the Peony in any combination of the following ways:
- ambassador
- author
- editor
- grower
- hybridizer
- board member
- donation of roots to gardens which are open to the public
- organizer of major society activities
- member in good standing
Nomination Process
- Any member of the Society may nominate any other member of CPS by writing a letter to the board outlining the reasons for the nomination.
- The deadline for this year’s nominations is April 15, 2023
- Submit nominations to Awards Committee c/o Darlene Kalawsky at darlene@kalawsky.com
Who We Are
We are a Society dedicated to the growth and development of Peonies. We are always looking for new members and enthusiasts to join the Society, so join us and come and share your passion!
Support The Society
Support the Canadian Peony Society. Click the "Donate" button below. Enter the amount you wish to donate in Canadian dollars. You have the option of paying using any major credit card or by Paypal.
Contact Info
Canadian Peony Society
4338 Line 26
St. Pauls, ON N0K 1V0
info@peony.ca
