VHS and its sub-groups, the Hardy Plant Group and The Fruit & Vegetable group, are constantly working to develop the most topical educational sessions for our monthly meetings.
Meeting Location: Our meetings take place at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre located at 3277 Douglas St. (meeting hall entrance is on Roderick St.).
Check this page for updates throughout our busy year.
VHS members have exclusive access to Speaker Notes and Workshop follow-up information.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm with our speaker on at 8:00pm.
6:30pm Workshop: Jo Wyld
Topics: Shovels
Speaker: Jeff de Jong
Topic: Crazy or Clever
The start of another Year has the Web buzzing with Trends and ways to make the Garden less work and more fun. Gardener’s are not fooled that easily. Yet, there might be ways to deconstruct the Trends for 2026 and make them real potential ideas and projects for consideration. Jeff de Jong explores ways to make your own Garden find its optimum potential through the use of the Trends and Design Tips for 2026.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm with our speaker on at 8:00pm.
6:30pm Workshop: Eileen Bancroft
Topics: How to Divide Dahlias
Speaker: Barrie Agar
Topic: Japanese Gardens
Japanese Gardens are admired in a great many of different countries and cultures, and very different from the Western aesthetic. This talk and slideshow will give an overview of various influences on the development of this garden art form, and how it applies to the modern garden.
Bio: Barrie started her horticultural career in a market garden on a large estate in Ireland with a large walled garden and espaliered trees. She did her initial horticultural training at Greenmount Agricultural College in Northern Ireland. She has worked in a wide variety of nurseries and gardens in BC and Ireland and has recently retired from being Head Gardener at Hatley Park at Royal Roads University, which has an early Canadian Japanese Garden. Being on the Board of the North American Japanese Garden Association has given further opportunities to study and interact with these amazing gardens.
She is involved with the Cowichan Rhododendron Society, and is the President of the BC Fruit Testers because who doesn’t like apples, and especially Heritage ones.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm with our speaker on at 8:00pm.
Speaker: Shona Lawson
Topic: Container Gardening
July 2026
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm with our speaker on at 8:00pm.
Speaker: Katherine Olmstead
Topic: Vegetative/Sustainability Focused Presentation
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm with our speaker on at 8:00pm.
Speaker: Tasha Medve
Topic: Planning a Veggie Garden and Growing Vertically
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm with our speaker on at 8:00pm.
Speaker: Paul Spriggs
Topic: GREAT SCOT!… Some cool stuff about Plant Explorer David Douglas’ travels in the Pacific Northwest
Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Doors open at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:15pm.
VHS Annual Christmas party!