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In
1928, William Bradley began a mail order seed company called
Dominion Seed House, which
was located on the edge of Georgetown, Ontario, on a portion
of the family farm. Eventually it became the largest and most
successful catalogue seed distributor in Canada. Its distinctive
mock-Tudor building was featured in all of its catalogues
and became emblematic to gardeners across the country as a
source of top quality seeds. Mr. Bradley traveled the world
in search of new plant varieties, which he then offered to
delighted Canadians and gardeners around the globe. ...
more history
The
Dominion Seed House business
remained in the Bradley family until 1993, when it was sold
to a Quebec firm and the property in Georgetown was put up
for sale. While the property was left fallow, it was evident
that an abundance of perennials were still alive and well
in the fields.
The
Georgetown Chapter of the Canadian Federation of University
Women, seeing both the waste and the potential, organized
a "Dig Your Own Plant" sale in May 1996. ... more
about the sale.
It
was understood throughout the process that the Garden was
to be largely a volunteer driven project. A Steering committee
of volunteers was formed in 1999 and on January 20, 2000,
The Friends of the Old Seed House
Garden was officially launched. Memberships were
sold and committees formed to tackle each of the many challenges
ahead. ... more about the
project.
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