February 10, 2001 Ottawa, On.

Subject: Ottawa Valley Rock Garden Society Launches Web Site for area Gardeners

The Ottawa Valley Rock Garden Society (OVRGS) today announced, the launch of its new web site located at www.magma.ca/~ovrgs.

OVRGS President Ernie Boyd told Society members attending the Society’s monthly meeting “Our Society has a responsibility, through our charter, to provide both members and non-members with gardening information and help in becoming better gardeners. Our members’ monthly Newsletter and meetings, along with special events such as seed exchanges, garden tours and trough-building workshops achieve our goal of serving our members. The launch of our new web site takes a giant step in providing educational information to non-members.”

OVRGS members, currently numbering over 150, are some of the Ottawa Valley’s most active and accomplished gardeners. The membership includes master gardeners, garden writers, specialty nursery owners and horticulturally-trained professionals keen on sharing their gardening experiences with members and others.

As Mr. Boyd pointed out, “Ottawa and area nurseries are bustling with new gardeners, many of whom have a deep desire to become good gardeners. Many don’t know where to turn for local knowledge about gardening basics or expert advice on specific gardening problems. Our web site exists to provide an accumulating library of gardening information from people who have excelled at gardening under local conditions.”

Mr. Boyd thanked Ian and Phil Reilly, of Reilly’s Country Gardens in Kinburn, for the design and content of the fledgling website. “Phil understands gardeners’ information needs as a result of talking to customers on a daily basis“ stated Mr. Boyd, “Who better to initiate this project than someone as committed to gardening excellence as the Reilly’s … and they volunteered to do it for our Society.”

Visitors to OVRGS’ new web site can find organizational information about upcoming meetings in the “Meetings” option. Seed-starting procedures and information on germination requirements of many difficult to germinate seeds is available within the site’s “Newsletter” option. OVRGS maintains an extensive lending library for members and, in support of the seasonal seed starting theme, OVRGS Librarian Roy Slaney has listed relevant library holdings on seed germination for viewing on “Our Library’ page. Gardeners looking for books on rock gardening can also go to the ‘Our Library’ page for recommended books on general rock gardening themes and specialty books for the most sophisticated information need.

“We invite the public to use the resources posted on our web site” summarized Mr. Boyd.

For further information:

Ernie Boyd: OVRGS President, 613-256-4836 email: Eboydfarm@aol.com

Phil Reilly: Web site coordinator, 613-832-2965 email: reilly@magma.ca