1000 tulips will be springing up in Civic Square next year

Civic Square in downtown Huntsville will be wearing a festive dress of tulips in time for Canada’s 150th birthday next year.

At the initiative of the Downtown Huntsville BIA, Huntsville is one of 150 communities across Canada to receive 1000 red and white tulip bulbs from the Canadian Garden Council and Vesey’s Bulbs of PEI. Huntsville’s 150th Celebration Garden, consisting of 500 red and 500 white tulip bulbs, will be planted in October in partnership with the Town of Huntsville. The community is invited to attend a ceremonial planting on October 21, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. in Civic Square in front of the Algonquin Theatre.

“We are thrilled to be the recipients of this wonderful community gift as we understand that the Canadian Garden Council, the organization behind the 150th Celebration Garden program, received more than 400 applications,” said Allie Chisholm-Smith, Chair of the Downtown Huntsville BIA, in a release. “Everyone, from seniors to school children and the public, is invited to attend the planting ceremony as our community makes preparations to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday next year. Hosting a 150th Celebration Garden is important to Downtown Huntsville because it gives our community the opportunity to unite two important anniversaries – Canada’s 150th Birthday and the 100th anniversary of celebrated Group of Seven Artist Tom Thomson’s (death).”

Downtown Huntsville BIA Executive Director said that the garden provided the ideal opportunity to commemorate Huntsville’s connection to Tom Thomson by planting the garden around the statue of him in front of the Algonquin Theatre. She also noted the connection tulips – an international symbol of friendship – have to Holland, one that Huntsville’s Dutch community will also appreciate.

The Huntsville garden, along with the other 149 gardens planted across the country, will be symbolically linked to a flagship 150th Celebration Garden Promenade, consisting of 25,000 tulips also donated by Vesey’s, to
be planted this fall and bloom next spring adjacent to Niagara Falls. Our garden will also be featured on Canada’s Garden Route.

The Downtown Huntsville BIA thanks all those that made this inspiring program possible: Canadian Garden Council, Vesey’s Bulbs, Canada Post, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, Niagara Parks Commission, Garden Making magazine, Landscape Ontario, Ontario Garden Council, Baxter Travel Media, Enterprise Canada, Gardens BC, Québec Gardens’ Association and VIA Rail Canada.

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