Junior Gardeners

Young gardeners get together to have fun and learn.

Russell Junior Gardeners Registration for 2026 is now open!

Do you know a young person, or you are a young person, who is interested in learning more about gardening? Whether you are a beginner or have some experience with growing things and would like to learn more, then the Russell Junior Gardeners is a great group to join!

There are three age groups of Junior Gardeners, Sprouts (age 5-8), Juniors (age 9-12) and Seniors (age 13-16).

We hope this is going to be a great growing season and program for all! The theme of the program for 2026 is Dragonflies.

This year we will be having one in-person meeting with our Junior Gardeners in July at the Russell Library where the gardeners will learn about the beauty and wonder of dragonflies. A second meeting is a road trip and will take place at Green Corners Farm. We will get a tour on this flower farm that is owned by one of our members, and there will be activities for the gardeners. A final meeting will be Julie Keravel’s house, in St. Albert, Ontario, on a Saturday morning in late August where we will have a vegetable, flower and craft show; where awards will be awarded for the best junior gardens.

Thank you to the Russell Library and Green Corners Farm for letting us use their gardens for our meetings.

Please note that there are only 25 spots available.

See the bottom of the page for details on how to register. The cost is $10 per person.

All gardeners will be given a seed pack and two plants to plant in their garden which should be around 2 metres x2 metres. This year each gardener will be asked to plant either their radishes or beans in two batches to ensure that they have veggies to show at the final meeting. Judges will come to your homes in August to judge how each garden is doing. In addition, during the meetings gardeners will have the opportunity to report on the progress of their gardens. They will be able to create works of art that will also be judged at the end of the summer. Specific details geared to each age group as well as the judging rules will be distributed at the meetings.

The following are the dates for the meetings:

May 16^th,: between 9:30 and 11:30am – “Seed/plant and welcome kit pickup” at the Russell fairgrounds. This is also the Russell and District Hort Society Plant sale.

July 18^th: In person meeting at the Russell Library “The wonders of Dragonflies” 9:00am to 11:00am.

August 15^th : In person meeting at Green Corners Farm, 1259 York's Corners Rd, Ottawa, Ontario

August 17-21^st: Judging of the children’s gardens (actual date to be confirmed)

August 29^th: Final meeting: Julie Keravel’s house – 1650 route 600 west St Albert Ontario. At this meeting the results of the judging for the gardens, flowers, vegetables and art projects will be presented. All will have the chance to meet and speak with experienced gardeners.

For each meeting:

***Bring your hats, water bottles, bug spray, sunscreen and a snack.

***You can bring your own pencils and markers, glue etc., for the art projects but we will have some available.

Are you interested in joining us? Register today! The cost is only $10 per person.

Russell Junior Gardeners Registration Form for 2026

PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM TO:

juliekeravel@gmail.com by May 5, 2026.

Payment may be made directly to Russell and District Horticultural Society at russellgardeners@gmail.com.