Western Regional Conference: Cowichan 2000
Duncan, BC, Sept. 14-17, 2000
Ruth Cook
Duncan, British Columbia
Canada

We are told that the Indian word for Cowichan translates to "the warm land." It is to this warm land of ours that we feel privileged to invite all of our fellow rhododendron lovers and gardeners to our Western Regional Conference in Duncan on Vancouver Island, which we are calling "Cowichan 2000." The dates for this are September 14 to 17, 2000.

It is not important whether you make your home in the town next to us or somewhere over the horizon; we hope to make you all welcome and share in some happy days with your rhododendron friends who share our common interests. We think we have a roster of speakers who will interest everyone, from the members with a scientific turn of mind to just plain dirt gardeners like ourselves who are of that persuasion.

One of our bus tours will take you to the magnificent Butchart Gardens on the Saanich peninsula. This is surely one of the finest of its kind in the world and is well worth your time.

We are planning a barbecue at one of the finest waterfront estates in our area. After all is said and done, we gardeners have never been a dull lot and we can guarantee happy hours at that event.

Vancouver Island has been for a very long time, a place of gardens. Now, after all these years, few would disagree that we have some very fine examples of both public and private gardens in the area.

It is our fond hope that you will come and see for yourselves, what we have to offer, to renew old acquaintances and make some abiding new ones.