The North Bay Heritage Gardeners

05/26/2026

🌷Spring is in full bloom at the North Bay Waterfront! 🌿 We encourage everyone to come down and enjoy a walk through the gardens 🤩 You may even see some gardeners hard at work when you do! 🪏☀️

04/22/2026

Today is Earth Day 🌎!

It’s a chance to reflect on the spaces we share and care for. The waterfront gardens are a meaningful part of our community, shaped by many hands over the years, and a reminder of what can grow through a shared respect for the land. 🤲🌿🌷

As we head into a new season, we hope you’re feeling excited for what’s ahead!

Looking for simple ways to support the environment today and beyond?

• Pick up litter in your neighbourhood or a local green space
• Walk, bike, or carpool when you can
• Be mindful of your water use
• Compost or set aside yard waste
• Spend some time outside and take in the signs of spring

Interested in joining us this season as a volunteer? Click "See Details" below to register 🌱

03/23/2026

Happy Spring! 🌷🌿💐

Interested in volunteering with us this summer?

Returning for another season?

Click the link below to access our 2026 Volunteer Registration Form!

https://forms.gle/2tNwVhewGf3d5YaP6 ✨

We welcome volunteers of all skill levels - you don’t need to be a gardener to join us - and have a variety of opportunities available. For more information, be sure to visit the Volunteer page on our website.

We would love to have you join us this season! 💐

01/12/2026

Winter Crafting Workshop – Sunday, February 1 | 1–3 pm
📍 Upper Level, North Bay Museum

Join us for a cozy Winter Crafting Workshop on Sunday, February 1! This relaxed, drop-in afternoon is open to all ages and skill levels and is a great way to stay creative during the winter months.

We will have painting activities (small canvases, paint, brushes, and wooden items), as well as bookmark and greeting card making using cardstock and natural materials. Online garden tours will be playing throughout the afternoon to inspire creativity and bring a bit of garden warmth indoors.

We will also be hosting a short talk on winter seed sowing, with visitors invited to plant their own lanceleaf coreopsis seeds to bloom in the upcoming season.

Community members are welcome to bring their own crafts - such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and more - to work on with family, friends, or garden teammates.

Leave a comment below if you plan to attend! We hope to see you there! 🎨💐🧶

12/02/2025

This GivingTuesday, we’re proud to be participating in a global day of giving! 🌳🤝💐

Our mission is to develop a year-round, community-based, educational, horticultural, and environmental program focusing on the beautification of North Bay’s waterfront. We believe that GivingTuesday is a great way to further that mission!

On this special day, we are asking for your help to support our work. Please consider making a donation to our campaign. Every little bit helps and we are so grateful for your support this !

To learn more about GivingTuesday and to donate to our programming, please click the link below!

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/40675

11/27/2025

Tomorrow marks the final week to visit to see our display as part of the “North Bay at 100” exhibit! Learn about our history, the development of the waterfront, and see some of the items that best represent us! 🌿🌷🌳 While you’re there, make sure to check out the other amazing displays as part of the collection! You don’t want to miss this exciting celebration of our Centennial year ⭐️

09/16/2025

Big thank you to the North Bay Nugget for our feature a few weeks ago! So exciting to see all of our volunteers’ hard work showcased as front page news! Thank you to everyone who makes it all possible 🌷💚🌻🌿

07/25/2025

Join us at the North Bay Homecoming Festival! 🌿

On Saturday, August 2nd, the North Bay Heritage Gardeners will be part of the Explorer’s Village, located on the grassy area behind the North Bay Museum.

From 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, stop by our booth to learn all about our local pollinators (like bees and butterflies), and enjoy fun, hands-on activities including rock and cutout painting, a photo op, and more!

Make a day of it—the North Bay Museum is offering free admission, and the North Bay Farmers’ Market will be happening nearby.

🌺For more information on the event and to view the schedule, please visit their website:
https://www.nbhomecomingfestival.ca/

We can’t wait to see you there and celebrate our community together!

📽 Get a sneak peek of the festival here:
https://youtu.be/oXCBC_CuuME?si=MHJj_bRuR0aX9_FT

In this episode, we dive into the Homecoming Festival with a couple of people from the team behind it: Shawn Devine and Cathy Seguin. Fire Chief Jason Whitel...

07/16/2025

🌿This Wednesday, we want to point out one group of the many w**ds we deal with at the gardens, this being the genus of Vicia, commonly known as Vetch. Vetch is a nasty little w**d, with its roots growing both far and deep. The real issue of Vetch comes when it starts to outcompete and strangle the nearby plants by wrapping around them. Our more experienced gardeners frequently say that once you see Vetch in your garden, it’s too late. 🌳

Vetch can come in all shapes and sizes, with their flowers having mainly a purple or blueish hue, with some having red and white colourations.

Fun Facts:
1. Lentils are also part of the genus Vicia.

2. Bitter Vetch has been a common part of diets throughout time, with cases of people eating Bitter Vetch recorded as far back as the Ancient Egyptians, and as recently as World War II.

3. Vetch is talked about in various religious documentation, including the Christian Bible, the Jerusalem Talmud, and on Celtic walls.