DEADLINE EXTENDED! REGISTER FOR 2026!

In case you didn’t hear, the Communities in Bloom 2026 registration deadline has been extended to March 31st! There’s still time for your community to participate!

This opportunity offers:

• Affordable consultation for communities NEW to CiB
• Targeted outreach to Indigenous communities across Canada
• Support to balance environmental goals with financial realities

Through this program, CiB and RBC are helping to:

• Improve natural ecosystems and urban green spaces
• Advance Indigenous-led conservation projects
• Foster sustainable, equitable, and healthy communities



Impact: By enhancing plants and green spaces in your community, you can boost residents’ wellbeing and create spaces everyone can enjoy.



Limited spots available! Up to 40 new communities will be eligible in 2026. Registration closes March 31, 2026.

FREE WEBINAR:

Cultivating Resilient Communities Through Therapeutic Gardens

Wednesday March 25th, 2026 - 7pm (ET)

Therapeutic Gardening recognizes the quiet yet powerful role gardens play in supporting emotional well being, strengthening social connection, and building resilient communities.

Through sensory experiences, ecological care, and shared green spaces, gardens create compassionate places where people can slow down, reflect, and reconnect with nature and with one another. 

Join Susan Ellis, Past Chair of CiB, Tina Liu, Landscape Architect with the National Capital Commission, CiB Director, and Anne Kadwell, Retail and Landscape Sector Specialist with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, as they explore this year's CiB theme, "Therapeutic Gardening."

Follow the link below -

click on Check Availability, select March 25, Click Register

2026: ROOTED IN WELL-BEING

Nutrients for Life Foundation Canada is dedicated to providing teachers with FREE engaging classroom resources that explore the vital role soil health plays in plant growth and food sustainability.

4 WAYS TO BOOST WELLNESS IN THE GARDEN

More and more people are striding into the world of gardening and agritourism – a blossoming trend that's captivating folks of all ages and abilities. If you're a garden enthusiast, you already understand the excitement of seeing vibrant colours coming to life as your plants grow and bloom. Beyond enhancing outdoor spaces, garden activities provide meaningful benefits for health and well-being.

Below are some pathways to gardens as therapy, plus the newest plants that highlight the powerful wellness benefits of spending time outdoors.

Get Physical

Outdoor activities boost endorphin production — the feel-good hormones that relieve stress, reduce pain and elevate your mood. Appreciating plants outdoors helps regulate endorphins, increase serotonin, and expose you to blue light wavelengths from the sun, which are key for regulating healthy sleep-wake cycles.



When you maintain or stroll through your designed space, you’re encouraged by large-stature plants that create pathways for exploration. Install Interspecific Impatiens Solarscape XL® from PanAmerican Seed® as an oasis destination in your garden design. People gravitate towards its inviting, tropical look and masses of large-flowered blooms.

Elevate Mental Wellness

For many people, surrounding themselves in nature and flowers is where stress begins to melt away, and mindful focus on the present moment takes over. Connecting with nature and being outdoors can benefit mental health. This gentle, meditative feeling is often seen as one of gardening’s greatest benefits.

Choose plants with texture and interest to aid the sense of calm, allowing for a slower pace to embrace the garden experience. Ageratum Monarch Magic produces a soft cloud of purple florets that attracts Monarch butterflies by the dozens, adding whimsy and feelings of gratitude.

Nurturing the Soul

Gardens often inspire generosity: Think vegetable harvests or fresh flower bouquets. Another product that emphasizes charity is Beacon® Impatiens. Beacon is perfect for shade garden spaces as a disease-tolerant option that thrives all season. New colours for 2026 include Blue Pearl and Light Pink.

In addition, the Beacon team sets aside a portion of their global sales each year to support charitable organizations. For 2026, Beacon Impatiens will collaborate with “Roots for Youth,” a foundation established by Bradford Greenhouses in Ontario that awards bursaries to students facing family tragedies. Learn more about this charitable support at the Beacon Impatiens website, and help shine a light on worthy organizations.

Choose a colour that captivates

Adding pops of colour lifts moods and builds excitement as the vibrant blooms come to life. Look for new flower colours that enhance the outdoors with healthy vitality. New for 2026 are Dahlia Venti™ PinkBurst and FireBurst. Both live up to their names to deliver bursts of colour for strong visual impact. Another bright, attractive colour is new Lantana Shamrock™ Yellow, a welcoming choice for butterflies and humans that is both sunny and cheerful.



All of these new varieties will fill your garden with long-lasting colour. With these choices, your slice of nature will have the added benefit of enhanced wellness as you enjoy them all season.

EXCLUSIVE PLANTER PROGRAM

As a valued participant in the Communities in Bloom program, whether at the National or Provincial level, you have access to exclusive benefits that help your community shine.

Since 2018, we’ve partnered with EQUINOX DESERT PLANTERS, the official supplier of planters and waste management containers, bringing sustainability and beauty to communities across Canada.

Desert Planters will keep the soil surface dry to the touch, discouraging weed growth while your plants blossom, allowing you to bring lasting beauty and sustainability to your community with high-quality containers that support CiB programs in your province. Why this matters for your community: Special discounts, supports your province, and trusted by your peers.

Let’s grow together—beautify, inspire, and support your community with CiB and Equinox!

SAVE THE DATE!

Save the Date! You’re cordially invited to the 2026 CiB Symposium & Awards in Montréal & Rosemère, Québec. Join us from October 15 to 17, 2026, for an unforgettable event!

ALWAYS TOGETHER ROSE

As part of CiB's Therapeutic Gardening theme this year, the Always Together Rose stands as a beautiful symbol of community, compassion, and hope. We’re pleased to share that a list of retailers carrying these roses is now available. Visit the link below to find participating garden centre locations near you. Proceeds from each sale support both the Never Alone Foundation and the Communities in Bloom Foundation, helping advance programs that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. With the Always Together Rose, we’re planting more than flowers—we’re nurturing connection, well-being, and hope across our communities. 

Do you have a great volunteer you'd like us to celebrate?

Send the information to bloom@cib-cef.com and we'll feature them in an upcoming e-News, or on Social Media!

If you have any questions, please contact: 

Sonia Parrino

Program Specialist

1-514-694-8871

 bloom@cib-cef.com 

Communities in Bloom is made possible by the generous support of our

sponsors and partners. We wish to thank them for their contribution

to the quality of life and civic pride in Canadian communities.