2013-2014

News Release

REF NO.: 132

SUBJECT: Memorial University Botanical Garden celebrating Canada's Garden Days

DATE: June 10, 2014

Memorial University Botanical Garden will celebrate Canada’s Garden Days with a series of events June 13-15.
National Garden Day, Pink Days in Bloom and the Rhododendron Festival will all take place at the garden at 306 Mount Scio Rd., St. John’s.
Garden Days is a joyful, country-wide celebration of the role of gardens in our communities and in our lives. The weekend-long event begins with National Garden Day on Friday, June 13. National Garden Day is traditionally held the Friday before Father’s Day.
Garden Days are an opportunity for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to enjoy their own garden, visit or take part in their favourite garden experience, get inspired at their local garden centre or travel to a nearby destination to enjoy their favourite garden. Enthusiasts from coast-to-coast-to-coast will do the same!
            “Our public and private gardens have long been among the country’s great assets and now, finally, they are being celebrated in a meaningful and purposeful way during Garden Day,” said Mark Cullen, Garden Days’ national spokesperson.
While the physical activity of gardening makes for better living, the mere presence of gardens enhances Canadian lives everywhere.
“MUN Botanical Garden is honoured to be hosting the flagship events for Garden Days in Newfoundland and Labrador, where we are embracing National Garden Day with a day of garden-themed walks, talks and experiences,” said Liz Close, director, Memorial University Botanical Garden and Newfoundland and Labrador Garden Days spokesperson. “Throughout the three-day celebration there will be various exhibitors to delight you, an extravaganza of scheduled presentations and demonstrations and tours of the garden to amaze you. Saturday and Sunday feature our popular Rhododendron Festival in all its blooming glory! The event also launches a season-long tribute and FUNdraiser by the Friends of MUN Botanical Garden Inc. and Pink Days in Bloom.”
Registration is not required. Friday admission by donation; Saturday and Sunday admission required. Memorial students admitted free.
Visit www.mun.ca/botgarden/events/annual/GardenDays.php for the detailed MUN Botanical Garden-Garden Days itinerary. For more information on Garden Days, see www.gardendays.ca.
Follow Garden Days on Twitter @CanadasGardens or @MUNBotGarden
and join in the conversation at #GardenDaysCanada. Like Garden Days on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CanadianGardenCouncil.
Find a Garden Days activity near you and enter the Best Garden Street Contest. To find Garden Days activities near you, visit www.gardendays.ca and select the Activities button or search by city on the easy to navigate site. 
While on the site, be sure to enter the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest. Explain how gardens, private or public, contribute to the quality of life on your street and in your neighbourhood. Your garden could be named Canada’s 2014 Best Garden Street. 

Backgrounder
Organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and kicked off with National Garden Day, the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening. The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. 
 
Garden Days is sponsored by VIA Rail Canada, Enterprise Canada, Chimpanzee and Baxter Travel Media and supported by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.
 
Memorial University Botanical Garden is championing the Garden Days events for the province.

- 30 -