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.
VHS members have exclusive access to Speaker Notes and Workshop follow-up information.
Click here to see our scheduled current speakers and workshops.
Tuesday November 5, 2024
Workshop: Tool Sharpening with Susanne Osmond with Gardeners Kit
Speaker: Abby Hyde from Satinflower Nurseries
Topic: Native Plants and Meadowmaking
Abby from Satinflower Nurseries will speak about the importance of native plants, with particular attention paid to their ability to restore and enhance habitat within the urban context. The talk will highlight ways individuals can convert their lawns into diverse pollinator-friendly landscapes and how to approach species selection and planting densities. Garry Oak Ecosystems will be used as a case study to note particular pollinator-to-plant relationships. We hope you leave this talk feeling inspired and empowered to restore nature in your backyard!
Bio: Abby started at Satinflower Nurseries in 2021. She discovered her passion for observing native species and restoring degraded ecosystems while growing up in Bali, Indonesia. She made the long move from Indonesia to Victoria in 2016 to pursue a BSc in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. During her four-year program, her love for tropical and aquatic plants translated into a newfound love of the native plants of British Columbia. She now heads orders at the nursery and does consultations for meadowscaping projects.
Tuesday October 1, 2024
Speaker: Gordon MacKay
Topic: Fruit Tree Pruning in the Small Backyard Orchard
‘Flush cuts, compartmentalization of decay, UFO, bevel cuts, slender spindle..: what the heck does it all mean…..?’
Pruning is a part of successful fruit production in the orchard. This talk will discuss strategies to utilize pruning techniques as one method to improve fruit production and ultimately tree health and longevity. Summer pruning versus winter pruning, tree training, rootstock selection, young tree versus mature tree and various methods to grow your trees e.g. slender spindle, espalier etc. will all be covered. Some discussion on potential pest and disease issues will also be included. This presentation will focus on apple and pear production.
Bio: Gordon grew up in the city of Glasgow, often called the ‘dear green place’. Inspired by his father at an early age to pursue horticulture, he was fortunate enough to be able to follow in his footsteps completed the 2 year Diploma program at Threave School of Gardening in southwest Scotland. It was at Threave that his love and deep appreciation for all things plant related was fully realised. Working under the head gardener and plantsman, Magnus Ramsay, it was soon apparent that pruning trees and shrubs was going to be play a large part of this obsession. Further training was sought in the 3 year Diploma program at Pershore College of Horticulture in England. Since immigrating to Canada in 1994, Gordon has developed and established his own arboriculture business specialising in fruit tree pruning and tree care. He works part-time at a local retail garden centre; this somewhat helps to satisfy his plant obsession! Along with being an instructor at the Pacific Horticulture College, he is also an avid beekeeper.
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Workshop: The Organic Gardener’s Pantry with Christina Cook: Benefits of Aerated Compost Tea, including a demo on making and applying it. Members can bring a litre container to take some compost tea home.
Main Speaker: Connie Davis-Young:
Topic: Growing Dahlia’s from Planting to Bloom Time:
Connie Davis-Young will speak about growing dahlias. Connie’s interest in growing dahlias began 29 years ago. From the beginning of her introduction to growing dahlias she was fortunate to encounter a very knowledgeable gardener who was generous with information on the dos and don’ts of growing dahlias. His generosity of sharing information was vital to Connie and helpful in achieving her goals. She will pass along information to you that will hopefully help you reach your goals when growing dahlias.
Tuesday, July 5, 2024
Speaker: Jo-Ann Matiachuk, John Errington, Jennifer Howard-Gibbon, Jo Wlyd
Topic: Main Speaker: Panel Discussion with Questions & Answers
Topic: 2 Ornamental Plants and 2 Fruit & Vegetable discussions
Each speaker will offer a 5 – 10 slideshow based on their expertise. Questions will be submitted ahead of time by members. Audience questions will be answered also.
Tuesday June 4, 2024
Pre-Meeting Workshop: How to Get Orchids to Bloom with Bryan Emery
Main Speaker: Bryan Emery
Topic: Pelargoniums
Bryan Emery, proprietor of Bryan’s Plants http://bryansplants.com/index.jsp, started growing orchids when he was ten years old, continuing to grow and cultivate flowers since then. It is truly a labour of love, with particular interest in unique plants and the “diversity in the plant world.”
His collection has been evolving for over 25 years: annuals, perennials, houseplants, cacti, succulents. He has worked hard to offer new plant material into our market. Based in Victoria, BC, Bryan’s Plants ships plants throughout Canada.
Bryan’s home garden was featured in the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s 2022 Musical Mother’s Day Garden Tour. He is active in exhibiting entries in Cacti and Succulent societies, the VI Rock and Alpine Society and the Victoria Lily Society, where he won the 2023 Show Grand Prize for his vast number of amazing entries. He can also be found selling plants at many shows and cool pop-up plant sales in our vicinity, such as the popular Plantaholics Sale.
Tuesday May 7, 2024
Speaker: Barrie Agar
Topic: Fruit Growing for Small Spaces
Do you have climacaphobia (fear of ladders)? Are you living in a smaller home with limited garden space? You can still enjoy fresh fruit picked from your own tree or plants. There are different methods to grow fruit that will fit in a compact garden space and still be ornamental, as well as providing you with fresh fruit.
Bio: Barrie started her horticultural career in Ireland working on a large estate in the market garden. She then went on to the grounds which included a walled garden with glasshouses, a vinery with a Black Hamburg grape, and fruit trees.
Upon returning to Canada she worked in several specialty nurseries, with fruit growing confined to pots. But at Royal Roads she had indeed come full circle, working on a large estate with roses, Rhododendrons, a walled garden, the survivors of a once flourishing orchard, and yes, a glasshouse with a Black Hamburg grape. This, as the one in Ireland was reputed to be a cutting from the vine at Hampton Court, but everyone says that.
Barrie is the President of the BC Fruit Testers and Cowichan Valley Rhododendron Society, and is now retired form Royal Roads.
Workshop: Victoria Rhododendron Society
Topic: Ian Duncan and Lloyd Gilmore will discuss planing techniques cultural requirements ,watering in summer, pruning and deadheading.
Tuesday April 2, 2024
Speaker: Angela Hoy
Topic: The Complete Guide to Home Composting
Bio: Angela has had a lifelong love of gardening. She became a Master Composter in the UK in 2012 and ever since has enlightened the gardening public about the joys and benefits of home composting. Since arriving in Canada in September 2017, she has volunteered at Riley Park Community Garden where she was instrumental in setting up the present compost system. In 2020 she took the Vancouver Master Gardener Course, and organizes MG Clinics at the Riley Park Farmers Market. She has also recently taken the Master Recycler course and is currently accruing volunteer hours to achieve certification.
Tuesday April 2, 2024
Workshop: Hosted by the Vancouver Island Rock & Alpine Garden Society (VIRAGS), who will demonstrate how to make an alpine pot (preparation of the potting mix, setting up the pot, and planting).
March 2024
Speaker: Jeff de Jong
Topic: The Garden in a Changing World
There is no denying that our World is in transition and so is our home gardens. A warming climate is changing the way we garden. The Pacific Northwest always had its own unique situations with our weather patterns and climate. Are you ready to explore and even embrace changes? Jeff de Jong will be delving into the possibilities of how our gardens can remain our place of pleasure. It’s the perfect time for making choices to keep your garden beautiful. Sometimes small actions are a big deal.
Bio:
Jeff de Jong works as a Instructor at UVIC in Continued Education. He developed a Course on Landscape Design with the University which was focused on the home gardener. Along with teaching he can be found speaking for various Garden Groups around BC.
In July, Jeffry will be leading a Botanic Watercolour Course for the renowned MISSA 24. The International Summer School of the Arts.
He continues to find his home garden in Port Angeles a thing of JOY. The garden which is now 7 years old is home to a rain garden, veggies, greenhouse and hundreds of plants celebrating the PNW.
March 2024
Workshop: Victoria Floral Artists Guild
Topic: Linda will present a demonstration of Asian Inspired Design and Susanne will present a demonstration of Dutch Lush design.
February 2024
Main Speaker: Linda Gilkeson
Topic: Butterflies of South Vancouver Island
Linda earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from McGill University in 1986, then moved to British Columbia to work for Applied Bio-Nomics Ltd., a company that produces biological controls. From 1991 to 2002 she worked for the provincial government, promoting programs to reduce and eliminate pesticide use
December 2023
Christmas celebration at the Garth Homer Centre.
Main Speaker: Eileen Bancroft
Eileen Bancroft showed us how to make a holiday planter arrangement for a patio or deck using a mixture of purchased and found materials (“liberated” or “Pierced” greens, for example!).
November 2023
Our Speaker for November was Gary Lewis, M.Sc. He discussed his recent book titled “The Complete Talk on Ground Covers: Plants that reduce maintenance, control erosion, improve the environment, and beautify the landscape” – Ground
covers are widely thought of as utilitarian, but these plants also offer a diverse range of beautiful and intriguing options with a variety of colors, textures, and forms. They can unify a landscape, knit together plantings and hardscape, and add extra layers of beauty, dynamism, and surprise. As a replacement for lawns, they can reduce our use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, carbon-based fuels, and transform a yard into a diverse landscape of habitat and food for native insects, birds, and other wildlife. In this companion talk to Gary’s encyclopedia The Complete Book of Ground Covers published by Timber Press in fall 2022, Gary will highlight the functional and aesthetic uses of ground covers in the landscape including tips and tricks for designing with ground covers to take your outdoor space to the next level and a discussion on the diverse services ground covers can provide to make gardens more sustainable. He will illustrate all these benefits and uses of ground covers with beautiful photos taken from his travels to gardens around the world!
Biography:
Gary Lewis has had a lifelong passion for plants. While completing a Masters of Science degree in Botany, Gary became the owner of Phoenix Perennials on his 28th birthday. Since that time he has greatly expanded the business into a dynamic, award-winning, destination nursery for Western Canada with over 5000 different plants a year, many of which are grown at Phoenix Perennials from plant material sourced from around the world. In 2013 Phoenix Perennials launched Canadian mail order to bring their unique plant selection to a broader audience and now ships more than 2500 different plants a year to avid gardeners from coast to coast to coast.
Gary is a regular speaker at garden clubs and has appeared many times on radio and television. He has written for a variety of gardening magazines including Fine Gardening and in fall 2022 his encyclopedia, The Complete Book of Ground Covers, was published by Timber Press. This compendium focuses on 4000 different ground covers for the temperate gardening world accompanied by 650 photos he took on travels around the world.
October 2023
Speaker: Kem Luther
Topic: Boss Mosses of the Pacific Northwest.
His talk focused on the moss landscapes of Southwestern BC, looking at moss distribution, moss lifecycles and physiology, how mosses are used, and what they contribute to the local ecosystem, and moss gardening.
Kem is a naturalist and writer. He grew up in the Nebraska Sandhills, studied at Cornell, the University of Chicago, and the University of Toronto, and taught at Eastern Mennonite University, Sheridan College, York University, and the University of Toronto.
When he moved from a home on Ontario’s Grand River to the southern tip of Vancouver Island in 2004, he developed an abiding passion to identify and understand the ecological roles of the mushrooms and mosses of western North America. Besides Mushrooms of British Columbia (Royal BC Museum Press, 2021), Kem is the author of six books. A chapter of his book Boundary Layer (Oregon State University Press, 2016) looks at the moss landscapes of British Columbia.
You can find out more about Kem by visiting his website, here.
Workshop: Eileen Bancroft showed us how to band trees to protect them from Winter Moth damage.
September 2023
Speaker: Josh Clae Wagler
Topic: Foodscaping Our Future
Josh will explore the philosophy, principles and practices to transform your landscape into a foodscape. No matter how large or small, sunny or shady your space, it is possible to cultivate a beautiful, resilient, deliciously decentralized, foodshed for the future starting in your own home.
July 2023
Speaker: Phil Newton
Topic: 30 Dahlias to Grow on Vancouver Island
Phil Newton gave a slide presentation titled “30 Dahlias to Grow on Vancouver Island”. The former VDS (Victoria Dahlia Society) President will introduce the audience to chosen varieties based on their outstanding beauty, consistent performance at Dahlia exhibitions, ease of cultivation, and other superior characteristics.
June 2023
Speaker: Bob Duncan:
Topic: Growing Citrus & Subtropical Fruit Trees in South Coastal BC
This presentation will provide information on training systems, pruning techniques, variety selection and suitable sites to successfully grow citrus- lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, kumquats, yuzu, sudachi, sub-tropicals- avocado, pineapple guava (aka feijoa), pomegranates and loquats on the south coast of British Columbia.
Bio:
- over 50 years experience growing tree fruits on Vancouver Island near Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
- operates a specialty plant nursery and demonstration orchard – Fruit Trees and More
- demonstration orchard includes many varieties of tree fruits including a large selection of citrus
and subtropicals - other types of fruit trees grown include apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines,
cherries, quince, medlar, kiwis, pineapple guavas, figs, pomegranates, loquats, persimmons,
olives, jujube, avocado, pawpaw, white sapote - orchard used as a teaching tool to demonstrate various training systems and cultural techniques
- nursery, Fruit Trees and More, specializes in warm temperate, citrus, Mediterranean and hardy subtropical fruit trees
- trained as a Botanist and Entomologist – worked for Canadian Forestry Service as an Entomologist for over 35 years.
Owner of Fruit Trees and More Nursery, together with wife, Verna.
Other Bio information on website https://www.fruittreesandmore.com
May 2023
Our speaker was Bernie Dinter. He spoke on Dwarf Conifers – A Journey into the Miniature. 
Dwarf conifers allow the creation of gardens that fit your actual space. Gardens are shrinking as modern residences are built on smaller lots. Many species that we know as large trees are available in dwarf forms with their hardiness, interesting colours, textures and range of shapes. All the major conifer genera will be reviewed to show what is available to create a beautiful, small-scale garden.
Bernie grew up on the campus of Shawnigan Lake School, where his father was gardener from 1952 to 1972. He graduated from Shawnigan Lake School in 1969 and in 1976 graduated from UBC with a degree in Plant Science.
Bernie’s father began Dinter Nursery in 1973 and Bernie has been directing and managing nursery operations since 1976. Bernie’s daughter Tamara is now general manager. The nursery has been supporting gardeners in the Cowichan Valley for 50 years and now attracts customers from all over Vancouver Island.
Bernie is a member of the ‘Cowichan Valley Rhododendron Society’, Duncan Rotary Club and a member of the ‘BC Institute of Agrologists’.
April 2023
Our speaker was Jeff de Jong. He will speak on Plants that Earn Their Keep!
With so many choices of Plant Materials and the cost of plants increasing. We can be overwhelmed by making good plant selections.
Plants have many wonderful attributes that can keep the garden looking its best. Jeff de Jong explores how to make the garden dance with beauty by making use of all the thrilling plant parts. Good choices make Great Gardens.
Jeff de Jong is a Horticulturist living in Victoria. He currently teaching courses at UVIC in the Adult Education Department. Jeff leads local and International Garden Tours and most recently lead a Tour to the Netherlands. He speaks for Garden Groups in Canada and the USA. The works are in progress for his first book. His garden in Port Angeles USA keeps him busy.
Workshop: Ornamental Grasses
Following on from his two articles in Gardenry magazine, Mike Rogers will present examples of some of his current most favourite acquisitions. A recent tour of the “ornamental grass” section of several local nurseries has turned up many wonderful varieties and cultivars of true grasses and some sedges. These, along with examples dug from his own garden, will be shared and used to whet the appetite of soon-to-be or already converted grass aficionados. The talk will conclude with a few tips on care, upkeep and division.
March 2023
Our speaker was Solara Goldwynn. Edible Landscapes for the Small Urban Garden will look at elements and techniques we can apply in our urban food gardens for helping to grow large yields in small spaces. We explore a case study of a 1/10th of an acre urban lot in Vic West that incorporates raised beds greenhouses, rainwater catchment, chicken systems, composting and more.
Solara Goldwynn is a food grower in Victoria BC. Since 2013 she has been co-owner of Hatchet & Seed, an edible landscaping business on Southern Vancouver Island. She is the Food Systems Manager at Royal Roads University helping to implement a 5-acre regenerative farm, and a graduate student studying environmental education and communication. Solara is a mom and a passionate advocate for healthy local food systems for current and future generations.
February 2023
Our speaker was Nancy Turner. Wild Cultivation, Traditional Plant Management Systems of Northwestern North America.
Nancy Turner is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in Environmental Studies, University of Victoria. She is an ethnobotanist who has worked with Indigenous elders and cultural specialists in western Canada for over 50 years, learning about traditional knowledge of plants and environments. She has authored or co-authored/co-edited over 30 books and over 150 book chapters and papers, and has received a number of awards for her work, including Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia, and fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada, as well as honorary degrees from four BC universities.
December 2022
Our speaker was Lynda Dowling, who demonstrated how to plant a beautiful spring planter.
Lynda is the owner of Happy Valley Lavender and Herbs in Langford. Lynda Dowling started gardening at a very young age & won a prize for her Nasturtiums in Grade 2, so we are not counting the years of playing in the garden there!
The Happy Valley Lavender farm opened in 1986, and though the farm is now closed to the public, lavender continues to be a great love of hers. For the past 15 years; she has been specializing in rooftop & balcony gardens around town, designing & growing in containers. It’s not too late to tweak your pots. And yes every spring she still plants nasturtiums!
November 2022
Our speaker for November was Paul Spriggs. He spoke on crevice gardening. Paul has been rock gardening for 22 years and building crevice gardens for 15 years. He is an avid plant explorer, photographer, mountaineer and past President of the Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society. He is the co-author of the book “The Crevice Garden.”
October 2022
Our speaker was Dave Fraser, who spoke about growing Brugmansia. Dave founded Fraser Thimble Nursery on Salt Spring Island and went on to work as unit head for Species Conservation Science in the BC Ministry of the Environment.
September 2022
Andy MacKinnon is a forest ecologist and the co-author of six best-selling books about plants of western North America, including Plants of Coastal British Columbia. For several decades he has co-taught university undergraduate forest ecology field courses in Banfield and Tofino and Haida Gwaii. He’s an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and a retired Professional Forester and Professional Biologist. Andy will speak on Mushrooms and Other Fungi.
July 2022
Jeff de Jong is our speaker for July. His talk is titled “Small Wonders:” Growing on a smaller scale is not a default. Small plants are extremely delightful and appealing. Whether you grow on a patio or in perfect garden location. Small gardening can give any gardener another reason to be outdoors. Jeff de Jong has been teaching gardening classes for over 20 years in Canada and abroad. He currently teaches at The University of Victoria. He was the former host of Victoria’s only radio gardening program Gardening 101 on CFAX. He writes for numerous gardening magazines and leads garden tours throughout the world.
June 2022
Our speaker on June 3 was Eileen Bancroft.
May 2022
Our speaker on May 3 is Bill Quade, Senior Horticulture Manager with the Biltmore Company in Asheville NC. Prior to this, Bill served in various positions within the Horticulture Department, which he began in 1998. Bill’s strong leadership ability, positive personality, and understanding of Biltmore’s core values have been instrumental as the estate has grown to welcome 1.5 million guests annually. Bill enjoys the challenge of maintaining the Estates historical design intent while implementing the needs of the 21st century.
Bill will speak about Frederick Law Olmsted and the Gardens of Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. https://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore-estate/gardens-grounds/
April 2022
Our speaker on April 5 is Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, a professor in the Horticulture and Landscape Department at Washington State University and an Urban Horticulturist in WSU’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center. Many will be familiar with her books (including the recent “How Plants Work: The Science behind the Amazing Things Plants Do”) and her contributions to the Garden Professors blog.
Drawing on her work in soil science research, Dr. Scott will speak about all things soil – what makes for healthy soil in our gardens and how can we nurture it?
March 2022
Our speaker is Dr. Patrick von Aderkas, a professor in the Centre for Forest Biology at the University of Victoria. He will lead us on a virtual tree walk of Victoria. While teaching biology at UVic, Patrick and his colleagues developed a must-see list of trees in and around the Victoria. Patrick’s virtual tour is just in time for spring walks to appreciate the weird and wonderful assortment of trees that tower above us.
February 2022
Karl Gercens, who is a conservatory manager at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania, working on their display gardens, including a new Mediterranean-inspired landscape opening in 2024. He is also a noted garden photographer who has travelled to 3000 gardens worldwide.
“Pushing The Limits! Plant Selection and design inspired by gardens in Australia, New Zealand and the British Isles. The mild maritime climate of British Columbia is a very special place in Canada and the world! Let’s explore gardens with a similar ability to have flowers and foliage flourish in milder winters and dry summers
January 2022
Egan Davis will speak to us about plant propagation. Egan has dedicated his whole life to horticulture. He is currently the Manager of Parks for the City of White Rock and his previous experience includes teaching and practicing horticulture at UBC Botanical Garden, VanDusen Botanical Garden, Gothenburg Botanical Garden, the Mendel Floral Conservatory, and Park & Tilford Gardens.
November 2021
Speaker: Amy Sanderson, Stellata Plants (https://stellataplants.com).
Topic: Cut Flowers from the Garden
October 2021
Speaker: Dr. Ross Bayton, Assistant Director of the world-renowned Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Washington
Topic: “A Heronswood Year: Five Season Gardening in the Pacific Northwest”
More information can be found here:https://heronswoodgarden.org/the-garden/
London-born botanist and gardener Dr. Ross Bayton gained his Ph.D. at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, studying the classification of tropical palms. He’s the author of several books on horticulture including New Trees: Introductions to Cultivation (with John Grimshaw), Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists (with Simon Maugham), and most recently The Gardener’s Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names, as featured in the New York Times. Formerly the Gardening Editor of the UK’s best-selling gardening periodical, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, he is now the Assistant Director of the world-renowned Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Wa., and is developing a 5-acre garden at home in nearby Bremerton.
September 2021
Dr. Ross Bayton, Assistant Director of the world-renowned Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Washington will speak to us about “A Heronswood Year: Five Season Gardening in the Pacific Northwest”.
More information can be found here:https://heronswoodgarden.org/the-garden/
London-born botanist and gardener Dr. Ross Bayton gained his Ph.D. at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, studying the classification of tropical palms. He’s the author of several books on horticulture including New Trees: Introductions to Cultivation (with John Grimshaw), Plant Families: A Guide for Gardeners and Botanists (with Simon Maugham), and most recently The Gardener’s Botanical: An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names, as featured in the New York Times. Formerly the Gardening Editor of the UK’s best-selling gardening periodical, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, he is now the Assistant Director of the world-renowned Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Wa., and is developing a 5-acre garden at home in nearby Bremerton.
August 2021
As part of our 100th anniversary celebrations, we are very pleased to welcome James Alexander-Sinclair to this special August meeting. He will speak on the topic “Gardening in a Changing World.”
James Alexander-Sinclair is one of the most sought after garden designers in the UK. He is also an accomplished garden writer, contributing a regular column in Gardener’s World magazine, and authoring an award-winning blog. He is currently Vice-President of the Royal Horticultural Society.
July 2021
Loree Bohl, author and host of the “Danger Garden” blog (http://www.thedangergarden.com), will talk to us about “Hardy Plant Choices & Fool-the-Eye Alternatives.”
June 2021
Speaker: Cara Gibson: Swan Lake
Topic: Reviewing programs at the centre & their role in educating people on the use of native plants.
May 2021
Pamela Dangelmaier and Elke Wehinger from Botanus, in Langley, will give a presentation on how to use summer-flowering bulbs in the garden.
April 2021
Lynda Dowling, owner of Happy Valley Lavender and Herbs, will speak to us about all things lavender.
At 6.30pm, she will host a workshop on edible flowers. The topic of her main presentation (beginning at approximately 7.30pm) is on how to make your lavender thrive, not just survive!
March 2021
Bruce Carter, from Wes-Tec, will be talking about Garden Lighting.
Ciscoe Morris, the Seattle TV and Radio personality, will be showing us how to design an environmentally friendly garden.
December 2020
Workshop Topic: Colleen O’Farrell (of Foxgloves Flowers) will give a demonstration on “Foraged Wreath Making”.
Main Speaker: Instead of a speaker this year, Bernie Dinter, Jeff de Jong and our own Diane Pierce will offer their thoughts on seasonal plants and ideas for the holiday season, as well as answering your gardening questions.
November 2020
Main Speaker: Toni Gattone is a Master Gardener, entrepreneur, and a speaker with a passion to help gardeners garden for life. Toni knows from experience that physical limitations are the reason we need to re- evaluate how and when we garden, and how we can re-work our gardens for greater comfort and safety.
Her book, ‘The Lifelong Gardener, Garden with Ease & Joy at Any Age’, was published in August 2019 by Timber Press.
The title of her presentation is: You Can Garden for Life!
This informative and inspirational seminar delivers dozens of tips, tools, and techniques enabling gardeners of all ages and abilities to adapt and be resilient, so you can garden for life in comfort and safety, with ease and joy.
October 2020
Workshop: Eileen Bancroft (a VHS Member) will present a video workshop on the do’s and don’ts of banding your trees to protect against Winter Moth and Bruce’s Spanworm.
Main Speaker: Justin Dunning (whom some of you may know from his presence at events such as the Plantaholics sales) will talk to us about how to plant and care for a container bog garden.
April 2020
Workshop Topic: Edible flowers beyond Lavender: Lynda Dowling will talk about the Flowers & Herbs she grows for chefs…that can be grown at home for garden party dinners!
Lavender in April, without a plane ticket to a Provence!
Success with your Lavender to thrive, not just survive…
Lynda Dowling, owner of Happy Valley Lavender and Herbs, has had a love affair with a Lavender since her first planting in 1983! She will cover choosing, growing, harvesting , maintaining & using your Lavender stash! In 2019, she even harvested the baby ones with a broken leg!!!
March 2020
Keep them Buzzing: Smart Gardening for Bees
It’s more important than ever to get smarter about what we plant to provide bees with food and nesting material. Lori will share some top tips for growing plants that support several species of bees in your garden. She will show examples of garden projects that will inspire you to create your own oasis for our essential pollinators.
Lori Weidenhammer, aka Madame Beespeaker, is a performance-based interdisciplinary artist and educator living in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is originally from a tiny hamlet called Cactus Lake, Saskatchewan. It is in this place, bordered by wheat fields and wild prairie, that she first became enchanted with bees. She is the author of an award-winning book called Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees published by Douglas and MacIntyre. Lori works with students of all ages on eating locally and gardening for pollinators. On occasion, she likes to dress up in silly costumes and talk to bees.
Workshop: David Spencer, VP Sales and Marketing, Applied Bio-nomics will speak about the early establishment of beneficial insects for season-long success.”
February 2020: Keep it local
Robin Tunnicliffe, the co-owner of Saanich Organics and farm manager at Sea Bluff Farm, is passionate about locally grown food, sustainability and food security on the Saanich Peninsula. With spring coming, Robin will talk about seed breeding techniques on their farm, with a small dose of what is happening in the geo-political context, and the role of community seed savers.
Workshop: Workshop: Getting to Know Succulents
Ryan and Brian, of the Planted Farm, are succulent plant enthusiasts from North Saanich. They have been collecting and propagating for many years. They will be bringing examples to show the major succulent varieties and their various characteristics. They will also talk about caring for succulents. Water, fertilizer, soil composition will be discussed as well as propagation.
December 2019
Workshop Topic: No Workshop this month
Speaker: (7:30pm) Jillian Player is an artist and a floral designer. She works at Poppies Floral Art and teaches occasionally at Vancouver Island School of art where she teaches workshops in floral design and painting.
She will be presenting a contemporary, west coast, Christmas themed centrepiece for your dining table.
November 2019
Workshop Topic: No Workshop this month
Speaker: (7:30pm) “Landscape Design Principles: “Where to Start when Designing Your Garden”: Agneta Roberts
A well designed landscape is more than a collection of pretty plants. By creating a plan and considering basic design principles you will be able to create a functional, resilient and beautiful space.
October 2019
Workshop Topic: (6:30pm) Autumn Harvest Wreaths: Ali Louwe
Ali Louwe of Powell Floral will teach how to make a Autumn Harvest Wreath. Ali will introduce topics about harvesting and sourcing local seasonal plants, design aesthetic and care instructions.
Speaker: (7:30pm) “Welcome to the World of Heather”: David Wilson
From Norway to Auckland, Cape Town to California, Holland to Halifax, Erica and Calluna have left behind their native habitat to establish around the globe. In Victoria we select a heather or two for our garden, in Europe factory nurseries grow two hundred million heather for fall colour sales with few destined for planting. Enjoyable success with heather can be easy no matter your size and style of gardening.
September 2019
Workshop Topic: (6:30pm) Fermentation: Cam Picyk
Learn about this natural way of processing food and adding health benefits to it.
Speaker: (7:30pm) “The Tehuacan – Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve at Zapotitlan”: John Veillette
A biodiversity hotspot that was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2018.
July 2019
Workshop (6:30pm) and Speaker (7:30pm): Linda Gilkeson
Workshop Topic: Next Winter’s Harvest starts now!
Did you know you can harvest over 30 kinds of fresh vegetables from your garden all winter? To do that you need to choose the right varieties and plant them at the right time. Learn what to grow, when and where to plant, and simple methods for protecting crops and how to fit winter crops in with summer plantings to make the most of your garden space.
Where Have All the Insects Gone? [When Will We Ever Learn…?]
Global insect populations have crashed over the last couple of decades. Learn why this matters for our food supply, for a healthy environment and the future of wildlife. Find out what factors may be causing the widespread declines and how gardeners can help to reduce the harm from some of these factors.
Linda earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from McGill University in 1986, then moved to British Columbia to work for Applied Bio-Nomics Ltd., a company that produces biological controls. From 1991 to 2002 she worked for the provincial government, promoting programs to reduce and eliminate pesticide use. She was head of the provincial State of Environment Reporting Unit for the next six years, then the Executive Director of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy until the end of 2011. Linda now devotes her time to writing, teaching and consulting.
Linda’s comprehensive gardening book, Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, became a BC best seller and has just been republished in a new, considerably expanded edition. She continues to self-publish books for local gardeners, most recently Resilient Gardens: Pollinator Gardens, Garlic Diseases, Pest Update.
As a private consultant, Linda is a regular instructor in the Master Gardener programs in BC and is busy year around giving workshops on pest management and organic gardening.
June 2019
Workshop (6:30pm) and Speaker (7:30pm): Pam Erikson, “Daylilies and Hostas”
Pam Erikson is an award-winning daylily hybridizer, photographer, instructor and lecturer from Langley, BC Canada. In 1991 Pam started the first Canadian daylily club in affiliation with the AHS and is still its President.
Erikson’s Daylily Gardens and Perennials have been an international display garden of daylilies and hostas for many years. The Gardens have over 3,000 varieties of daylilies, 600 types of hostas, and many drought tolerant plants to encourage gardeners to plant more specimens that can take our summer drought. The nursery is stocked with the largest collection of daylilies, hostas, and lilies on the west coast, as well as other unusual perennials, containers and garden related items.
May 2019
Workshop (6:30pm): Lynda Dowling, “Growing Food in Containers”
Lynda Dowling can help you plan an organically grown garden, balancing time and maintenance requirements with your needs and availability. By including lavender and herbs, you can take advantage of their lovely scents and additional uses for cooking, craft projects and wonderful eclectic bouquets.
Ms. Dowling operates Happy Valley Lavender & Herbs and conducts garden consultations and workshops. Her farm currently specializes in cultivating sweet lavender varieties (Lavandula angustifolia) for scent and taste. Late blooming lavender includes the True Spike Lavender (L. latifolia) and the new hybrid Lavadins (L. x intermedias).
Speaker (7:30pm): , “Outerbridge Park”
In the heart of Broadmead is a wildlife oasis called Outerbridge Park. In 2005 when Saanich bought the Outerbridge property, which included gardens and ponds, the understanding was that the park would be kept as a bird and nature sanctuary. Much of the area had become quite overgrown. Through a partnership between Saanich and the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, hard working volunteers removed invasive species, upgraded trails, installed an irrigation system, and planted garden areas and a Garry Oak meadow. The volunteer team has also installed 24 bird houses they constructed themselves.
April 2019
Workshop (6:30pm): Susanne Osmond, “A Gardener’s Dream Kit”
Susanne presents a plethora of new and traditionally reliable tools that help you with all phases of your garden’s development, from planning to execution and maintenance.
Ms. Osmond holds a certificate in Ecological Landscape Design from Gaia College, is a certified Master Gardener, a SOUL-certified Organic Landcare Professional, and has most recently been honing and refining her planting design and management skills at Great Dixter in England under the tutelage of horticulturalist and plantsman, Fergus Garrett. She has been operating her own design, installation and maintenance business since 2002 and in 2008 she moved to Victoria.
Speaker (7:30pm): Leeanne Mueller, “You’re Smarter Than Your Average Deer”
Leeanne Mueller discusses all the ways you can enjoy gardening in an area filled with large populations of deer. She has developed a comprehensive list of deer resistant plants and methods to prevent deer from damaging your garden including hardscaping, creative combinations of plants, sprays, and other deterrents.
Ms. Mueller is President of the Pender Island Garden Club and Owner of Garden Song Landscaping, specializing in drought tolerant and deer resistant plants and incorporating functional art.
March 2019
Workshop (6:30pm): David Greig, “The Magic and Mystery of Vermicomposting”
Worms are a must for efficient composting and thriving gardens. Here you’ll learn the basics and benefits of worm composting, how to start your own wormery, and even have a dinner topic to impress your guests!
David Greig is a registered Horticultural Therapist, Certified Organic Land Care Professional, Certified Soil Steward, and Master Composter. For close to 30 years David Greig has worked with these remarkable creatures and specializes in selling vermicompost.
Speaker (7:30pm): Maria McKenty, “Through the Eye of the Microscope, Microbiome Connections: Living Soil, Healthy Plants, Healthy People”
The microbiome is all around us – what is it? How does it impact everything from how we farm to how healthy we are? Discover how microbes, plants and people interact on so many levels.
Beginning with a childhood passion for plants, Maria McKenty studied Permaculture Ecosystem Design. She has spent the last 20 years in the edible landscape and gardening field. After becoming fascinated with the soil microbiome she studied under Dr. Elaine Ingham. Currently she is enrolled in the Community Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College.
February 2019
Workshop (6:30pm): Jacqueline Bradbury, “Taking the Mystery Out of the Parlour Show”
Find out what judges are looking for in a competition, and see recommendations for how best to display your treasured plants.
Speaker (7:30pm): Dr. Hans Roemer, “Home Climates and Plant Choices”
Why are certain species well adapted to grow here and others less so? Through climate maps and diagrams, our local climate is compared to world-wide climates and illustrated with examples of rock garden plants and bulbs that grow here.
Born and raised in southern Germany, Mr. Roemer has an MSc in landscape architecture and landscape ecology. He earned a PhD in plant ecology from the University of Victoria in 1972. He worked in conservation with the Province of BC Ecological Reserves Program & Provincial Park System. Since retiring in 2002, he has been specializing in field botany and conservation assessments. Most of his gardening is with bulbs and other drought-tolerant plants.
Special Event: John Anderson, “My Garden Experiences” (Hardy Plant Group)
John Anderson is the “Keeper of the Garden” at Windsor Great Park in England for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. His presentation includes a number of important landscapes in Windsor Great Park including the 35 acre Savill Garden and the 250 acre Valley Gardens at Her Majesty’s private garden at Frogmore. He also describes gardens he has managed in the past including Mount Usher Gardens in Wicklow, Ireland; Inverewe Gardens in Scotland; and Exbury Gardens in Hampshire, England.
Mr. Anderson is the Vice Chair of the Royal Horticultural Society Plant Committee and an RHS judge. He trained at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and studied at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.