William in the Greenhouse

William Treggett in the main greenhouse around 1875, he appears to be very proud of his flowers and is wearing a vest, tie, and a white shirt to mark the occasion.

“My grandfather must have had considerable training in horticulture and landscaping design. In the plans of the cemetery, there are good sketches and layouts of planting. Also, my father told me that he and other young men had learned the botanical names of many of the beddings and ornamental plants from our grandfather (William). He was also skilled at grafting shrubs and fruit trees.

I can remember as a young boy, how vital the flowers were to lot owners. My father would offer them the choice of a circular bed of red and green begonia, a cross of red and green carpet bedding or a rectangular bed of marigolds at the foot of the lot. The lot owners were very proud of their family lots and wanted to honour their loved ones with flowers each year. When the cemetery first opened in 1848, only lot owners were allowed to visit the grounds on Sunday morning; this was a sacred moment for those in mourning. Later in the day, others would be allowed to visit the properties. We must remember that Mount Hermon was a rural cemetery in the beginning, and the city of Quebec was a distance away. When families came out to the cemetery from the town, it was their main activity for the day. They would stay a good part of the day at the cemetery and attend to the flowers on their lots. Some of the lot owners had fences around their lots with a wrought iron bench to be able to sit.”- Graham Treggett