The Wally Gilbert Collection

The Peony Festival showcases the Gilbert Peony Collection.  Wally Gilbert acquired a nursery from a 19th century peony breeder named William Brown.  Gilbert then sold peonies at the nursery until the mid-1980s and retained a large peony collection until his death.

Wishing to preserve his wonderful collection and celebrate a beloved individual's passion, Gilbert´s friends and family approached the Canadian Peony Society to assist them in finding a permanent home for his collection.

With their identification verified, 100 peonies were moved to their new home in the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens by volunteers from the Oshawa Garden Club, the Canadian Peony Society and the staff of the Oshawa Parks Department.  Included in the collection are some of the cultivars originally bred by William Brown.