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.
Check this page for updates throughout our busy year.
VHS members have exclusive access to Speaker Notes and Workshop follow-up information.
Tuesday June 3, 2025
Speaker: Jo Wyld
Topic: Plants for Tough Conditions
Tuesday September 2, 2025
Speaker: Bethany Couture, Garden Alchemist
Topic: Permaculture for Ornamental Gardeners
Be introduced to how permaculture can help you create lower maintenance, lower input and extra beautiful ornamental gardens. I will share how to make more sustainable plant choices, manage soil health, conserve water and attract beneficial wildlife to help turn your garden into an oasis. This talk hopes to inspire you to look at your garden as an ecosystem and to help you cultivate a more harmonious relationship between your garden and the surrounding environment.
Speaker Bio: Bethany is a sustainable horticulturist, permaculture practitioner, and educator from Victoria, BC. Her desire to find more sustainable ways to work with the land led her down the path of permaculture where she now holds a Permaculture Design Certificate and a Permaculture Teacher Certificate. She is the permaculture instructor at the Pacific Horticulture College and the lead steward of the public permaculture garden at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific.
Through her business, Garden Alchemist, Bethany designs ecologically functional and beautiful landscapes rich in edible and native plants and offers consulting services to empower individuals and communities to integrate sustainable gardening practices into their landscapes.
Tuesday October 7, 2025
Workshop: Bethany Couture, Garden Alchemist
Topic: Worm Workshop Discover how easy it is to start composting with worms! Learn how this simple and efficient method can help you reduce food waste while creating nutrient-rich compost to enhance your garden’s soil.
Speaker: Anne Nightingale
Topic: Supporting Birds in our Gardens:
The emergence of avian flu is making this both a more pressing and a more puzzling matter for us. Many are finding that they are no longer sure of how to support birds across the different seasons and in ways that are safe for birds and gardeners both. Climate change and extreme weather events, of course, complicate things further.
Tuesday November 7, 2025
Workshop: Eileen Bancroft