Join us every month!
Our monthly meetings are designed to…
Inspire
To create lifelong learners by building your knowledge and interest in plants, nature, and the outdoors.
Educate
Our monthly meetings include an expert guest speaker covering topics on gardening, sustainability and nature along with a flower show competition (from May through October), raffle, Bring&Buy table, refreshments and plant sales.
Connect
These meetings are a wonderful way to meet and socialize with like-minded plant and garden loving people.
Our programming is delivered in-person and online, encouraging EHS members and the greater community to engage with nature, explore interests, and build knowledge.
In Person and Online Meetings
Our monthly meetings are currently offered both in-person and via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month at the Fairfield Seniors Centre, 80 Lothian Avenue in Etobicoke.
Light refreshments are offered from 6:30pm-7:00pm before the meeting starts.
Attendance at general meetings is free to members.
2026 Meeting Schedule
We have a terrific line-up of speakers for our monthly 2026 meetings!
All monthly meetings will continue to be offered for EHS members, both in-person and via Zoom.
Members: Instructions for Zoom participation to our meetings will be emailed on the Monday prior to every meeting.
Most meetings will include a raffle, Bring and Buy table and occasionally sale of plants (all for EHS fundraising purposes).
December Meeting
Join us to celebrate this years’ Holiday Celebration Event which is offered for in-person attendance at the Fairfield Senior Center and by Zoom.
The event will include:
Potluck Social Party: All members are asked to bring a sweet or savoury dish for the potluck.
Surprise Presentation: To be updated soon, so check periodically for the big reveal.
Door Prizes for in-person attendance.
Food Bank Drive - Non perishable food donations are appreciated for our St. James Food Bank Drive.
January Meeting
Annual General Meeting and Flower Show Awards
If you are an EHS member, please join us in person or by Zoom for our annual January meeting.
Activities for this meeting include:
Nominations/Election of officers
Installation of new board members
Questions/Answers period
Flower Show Awards
This meeting will be held in person and by Zoom.
Zoom link details will be sent to members the Monday before the meeting.
February Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Seed Exchange
Guest Speaker: Sean James
Topic: Texture Workhorses: Sedges and Grasses
Only recently appreciated, grasses offer interest throughout the year, increase biodiversity and offer sound and movement. Their close relatives, sedges, are indispensable in the fast-growing area of rain gardens. Horizons will be broadened!
Bio:
Named by GardenMaking magazine as one of “20 Making a Difference” and by Landscape Ontario as the 2020 and 2021’s Garden Communicator of the Year, Sean has been gardening professionally since he was sixteen and speaking to horticultural societies for almost 35 years. Sean owns ‘Sean James Consulting Design’.
Gardening has been Sean James’ passion and profession for over 40 years.
A graduate of Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, a Master Gardener, writer, and teacher, Sean focuses on eco-gardening techniques. He has spoken at events from the Maritimes to Seattle and landscaped from Switzerland to California. Sean had the honour of being part of creating the new Ontario Landscape Tree Planting Guide, the Grow-Me-Instead guide, the Ontario Horticultural Apprenticeship Curriculum, the national Red Seal Occupational Standard, and the Master Gardeners Reference Manual. He has chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee for Landscape Ontario and the Environmental Committee for the Perennial Plant Association and been featured on radio and television, including filling in for Paul Zammit occasionally on CBC’s ‘The Gardening Show’.
March Meeting
Meeting Activities: Guest Speaker, Baking Competition click here for details. Baking Competition entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Doubt
Topic: Controlling Moss-trophobia
About: Mosses are astonishing plants! They’re tough enough to grow without soil or roots, and to survive long droughts and winters (heck, even glaciation! Outer space!!) without hardly skipping a beat. Yet, they’re also sensitive enough to respond to subtle environmental change.
In the urban and natural spaces we know and love, shifting moss communities make themselves at home on soil, wood, rock and a huge array of human-made stand-ins. They do this whether or not we notice, invite or expect them.
For gardeners, plant knowledge is power! Bring your questions, and come face-to-face with some of the strongest, most sensitive plants on the planet.
BIO
Jennifer Doubt is the Curator of Botany and manages the botanical collections and the National Herbarium of Canada at the Canadian Museum of Nature (in Ottawa), building, documenting, sharing and safeguarding a public archive of over one million specimens of Canadian wild plants.
Otherwise, look for her outside, in nature: Jennifer is a field and lab-based expert on Canadian mosses and their plant relatives, aiming to document and protect Canada’s bryophytes through diverse collaborations that build and share knowledge.
April Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Clickherefor Flower Show Details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Kate MacQuarrie
Presentation Topic: Introduction to Mushrooms and Foraging
Are you curious about - or maybe even a bit nervous of - wild mushrooms? This presentation will dispel some common mushroom myths, explore the essential roles fungi play in our environment, and teach you how to identify some common mushroom species and groups.
As a botanist, Kate is not a mushroom expert (mushrooms are more closely related to animals than they are to plants), but she has been studying them for the past several years and is now comfortable with close to 100 local species or groups (and has taste-tested about 30 wild species). If you are new to mushrooms, this session is for you!
Bio:
Kate MacQuarrie was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Canada. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Prince Edward Island in 1991, and a Master of Science in 2003. From 1995 to 2003 Kate was Executive Director of the non-governmental Island Nature Trust, and she became Director of Forestry for the Province in 2003. Responsibility for Fish and Wildlife was added in 2005, and Kate is now Director of Forests, Fish and Wildlife.
Kate’s speciality is plant identification, with many first Provincial records to her name. Along with identifying plants, she enjoys foraging and has been using local plants for more than three decades. Kate is a professional trapper and fur handler, and recreational hunter and angler.
Kate lives on 100 acres of field and forest in Central PEI with her three cats and two dogs, including Golden Retriever Cuan (in photo).
May Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show Details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Mike Parrish
Topic: The World of Dahlias (the ins and outs of growing them)
Mike will share the secrets of growing dahlias, from choosing among their dazzling range of colours, sizes, and forms to mastering seasonal care. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or simply curious about adding these spectacular flowers to your garden, you’ll come away with practical tips and inspiration to help your dahlias thrive.
Mike will also share highlights of the activities of the Hamilton Dahlia Society, which hosts monthly meetings (virtual in winter, in-person during summer) and has members from across Canada and beyond.
p.s. - the name of the giant bloom in his photo is Islander!
BIO
Mike Parrish is the President of the Hamilton Dahlia Society, which has members spanning the entire country and a few members in the USA.
He started growing dahlias for pleasure and soon thereafter caught the competitive bug; he has now been growing dahlias for over 20 years. He is a senior dahlia judge through the ADS and the local judging Chair. He also belongs to the Canadian Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society. Mike has exhibited at the American National Show in the past and won top honours with exhibits in the Court of Honour. He is a member of the American Dahlia Society and was the Canadian representative on the Judging Curriculum Committee to develop on-line judging modules. Annually, he exhibits dahlias at five different shows in southern Ontario throughout August and September.
Professionally, Mike is a Paediatric Anesthesiologist at McMaster Children's Hospital. His passion for dahlias allows him time outside to connect with nature when he's not working in the operating room.
June Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show Details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Shaun Booth
Topic: Native Alternatives to Invasive Garden Plants
Invasive species are the second biggest threat to biodiversity loss (after habitat destruction), yet so many of them are grown on purpose in gardens. In this talk, Shaun will highlight some of the most common invasive plants in our gardens and how we can replace them with native plants to provide habitat for beneficial wildlife.
Shaun will be selling his new book at our meeting: The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region, Volume II. Cost per book is $45
Bio: Shaun Booth is owner of In Our Nature, a natural garden design firm and native plant nursery based out of Alton, ON.
Shaun is on a mission to change the way we see our gardens by empowering gardeners to invite nature back into their lives through natural garden design.
As a co-author of the Globe & Mail bestselling book "The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region," Shaun brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to design projects. His approach to garden design increases biodiversity and reduces maintenance all without sacrificing beauty.
Shaun is the founder of the "Ontario Native Plant Gardening" facebook group with over 38k members and regularly posts free resources on his website inournature.ca.
September Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Margie Patlak
Topic: Gardening for Grubs
Being more aware of insects and all they do for the flowers and vegetables we grow can add another joyful and entertaining dimension to gardening. In this talk, science and nature writer Margie Patlak will delve into how wasps, flower flies, bees, and other common insects help gardeners by pollinating plants and curbing many garden pests.
Insects can also prompt wonder once you come to know their amazing capabilities and intriguing lifestyles. Who knew bees do math, ants herd aphids, and wasps use tools?
And when you look closely, sometimes you’ll find the insects adorning flower petals are more beautiful than the blossoms themselves!
Margie will show that you don’t need to travel the globe to find extraordinary creatures because they’re hiding in plain sight in your garden! She’ll share tips on how to both notice and boost beneficial insects in your garden, as well as emphasize how gardening can be more rewarding when you are doing it not just for yourself but for the broader ecosystem. By planting the right flowers, trees, and bushes and adopting a few simple gardening practices, you can attract more insects and the birds that dine on them.
These steps can help counter dramatic recent declines seen in insect populations and songbirds. The talk will be illustrated with Margie’s photographs of insects, flowers, and gardens that appear in her book Insect Safari: Exploring the Wondrous World of Everyday Insects, published by Workman/Hachette.
Bio:
Margie is a gardener, nature and science writer, and photographer. Her book More Than Meets the Eye: Exploring Nature and Loss on the Coast of Maine received an “Outstanding Book” award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors in 2022. Her photo book Wild and Wondrous: Nature’s Artistry on the Coast of Maine was published in 2023. Margie has degrees in botany and environmental science.
October Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show Details. All Flower Show entries must be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Helen Battersby
Topic: Gardening in the Shade - Plants and Plans for the Darker Side of Gardening
Whether you have shady patches or garden all in shade, Helen Battersby helps you cope with the shade garden’s particular problems as well as understand its opportunities. She will cover garden design principles for your shade garden (they work in sunny gardens, too!). Armed with ideas for both shade-friendly plants and design strategies, you’ll learn how to persevere and discover creative ways to make a beautiful shade garden.
Speaker’s Bio:
For 30+ years in her small city garden, Helen battled one of a gardener’s toughest challenges – dry shade, on sandy, sandy soil under giant Norway maples. She hopes to help you learn from her long experience.
A grad of the Landscape Design program at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), she has volunteered for 20 years as a Toronto Master Gardener, and is a past board member of GardenComm, the International Association for Garden Communicators.
Her words and images have appeared in print and online media such as Garden Making and GardenDesign.com and, with her sister Sarah, on their award-winning website TorontoGardens.com. For eight years, the sisters carried on Margaret Bennet-Alder’s creation by co-publishing the Toronto & Golden Horseshoe Gardener’s Journal, winner of Silver and Gold Medals for its 30th edition. The Journal now brings the same well-loved tools to a Canada-wide version in collaboration with Food, Garden, Life writer and podcaster Steven Biggs.
November Meeting
Meetings details: Guest Speaker
Speaker: Lianne Harris
Topic: Blooms of Power: The Untold History of Flowers
From the sacred lotus of ancient Egypt to the tulip mania of the Dutch Golden Age, the story of human civilization is rooted in the soil. The Blooms of Power presentation reveals how flowers have influenced empires, religions, trade, and revolutions.
Let Lianne Harris lead you down the garden path for 1-hour exploring flowers as symbols of power that reflect cultural values, scientific discovery, and even political intrigue. After this, you'll no longer be a stranger in paradise!
BIO:
Lianne Harris was a former Social Studies/History Resource Specialist Consultant with the Toronto District School Board and curriculum advisor for Upper Canada College, having taught over 100,000 teachers and students.
Some of her initiatives have been indexing the Freedman Bureau Records for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., and curriculum development and business start-ups in India.
In 2003, she was selected by W.O.M.A.D. as one of Toronto’s Women of Influence and in 2009 was invited to be a contributing author of the Canadian best-seller business/self-help book, 'The Power of Women United'.
October Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Clickherefor Flower Show details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Speaker: Emily Sessa
Topic: All About Ferns
Professor Emily Sessa will share her wealth of knowledge on Ferns, their history and why they are still used in landscaping today.
Bio:
Emily Sessa is the Adjunct Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Biology Section at Cornell University.
She is also the Patricia K. Holmgren Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden. Research in the Sessa lab focuses broadly on plant systematics and understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that shape plant diversity. Lab members work on a number of projects around this central theme, including systematics, historical biogeography, physiology, and responses to climate change and mass extinction.
The lab is strongly focused on the seed-free vascular plants: ferns and lycophytes.
September Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Clickherefor Flower Show details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Cathy Kavassalis
Topic: Gardens that Give Back
Floods, heatwaves, and vanishing wildlife can feel overwhelming,
yet every patch of soil can help.
In this science‑rich session, Master Gardener Cathy Kavassalis reveals how climate‑smart design, converting lawn to habitat‑rich plantings, harvesting stormwater in rain gardens, selecting keystone native species, and ditching invasive ornamentals—delivers outsized rewards: cleaner air and water, cooler microclimates, stronger communities, and flourishing birds, butterflies, and bees.
Packed with actionable tips and inspiring case studies, “Gardens That Give Back” will equip Etobicoke gardeners to create resilient, beautiful spaces that truly serve people and the planet.
Bio:
Cathy Kavassalis is a passionate gardener and conservationist.
She is a Master Gardener and loves to answer questions posed in the popular Master Gardeners of Ontario Facebook forum.
Cathy loves to garden and believes that caring for plants is critical for our well being and that of our planet. She enjoys learning and sharing knowledge and by doing so endeavours to stimulate interest and awe in the living world.
June Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show Details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Shaun Booth
Topic:Edible Native Plant Landscapes
In this talk, Shaun combines two of the most popular topics in gardening right now - native plants and urban agriculture. We will explore how native plants can be used to beautify our gardens while feeding humans and wildlife alike.
Bio: Shaun Booth is owner of In Our Nature, a natural garden design firm and native plant nursery based out of Alton, ON.
Shaun is on a mission to change the way we see our gardens by empowering gardeners to invite nature back into their lives through natural garden design.
As a co-author of the Globe & Mail bestselling book "The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region," Shaun brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to design projects. His approach to garden design increases biodiversity and reduces maintenance all without sacrificing beauty.
Shaun is the founder of the "Ontario Native Plant Gardening" facebook group with over 38k members and regularly posts free resources on his website inournature.ca.
April Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Clickherefor Flower Show Details. Flower Show entries need to be in place by 6:30pm.
Guest Speaker: Marie Decker
Presentation Topic: Growing and Caring for Vegetables
Marie’s presentation covers soil prep, location (need for sun), crop rotation, plant companions, seed selection, understory planting, succession planting and planting vertically along with care and some look at harvest.
Note: Marie will be bringing some of her favourite seeds to give away.
Bio: Marie is a seasoned horticulturalist and passionate speaker on numerous topics and will be sharing her expertise on growing and caring for vegetables.
She brings a wealth of experience and is affiliated with many organisations including the Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington/Hamilton, the Canadian Rose Society, the Cloverleaf Garden Club of Mississauga and is past President of the Oakville Horticultural Society.
She has given generously of her time in flower show judging, and is an accredited Judge in Horticulture, Design and a Rose Judge with the Canadian Rose Society. In fact, her judging experience spans Canada Blooms, The Garden Clubs of Ontario, OHA District shows and the CNE.
Despite this, she has found the time to design and build a Prayer Garden at St. Simon's Anglican Church (2009) and has assisted in planting at several locations including The Cancer Hospice, Ian Anderson House in Oakville and the Bio-Diversity Garden in Oakville.
Her numerous volunteer activities have enjoyed her expertise and participation in the Invasive Plant Programs in Oakville and Halton, the RBG pollinator program as well as designing numerous workshops for different Horticultural Societies, in addition to offering Design Workshops and Horticulture Workshops.
February Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Seed Exchange
Guest Speaker: Darryl Cheng
Topic: Light, Most Important, Least Understood
Outdoor gardeners generally have a good sense of their sunlight exposure and indoor grow ops have well documented instructions to follow - but houseplant owners are left with vague, hand-wavy directions like "bright indirect light" - which leads to dramatically different interpretations and results. In this talk, Darryl will reveal the secrets to understanding light with a particular focus on how it applies to houseplants - comparing natural light and grow lights. You will finally be able to make sense of light!
Darryl will be bringing light meters and his books to sell at this meeting.
Bio:
Darryl Cheng is the author of 'The New Plant Parent' and 'The New Plant Collector' and creator of House Plant Journal. Darryl’s passion for plants and engineering approach to plant care have turned him into one of the most trusted houseplant resources on the internet! What was initially a hobby Tumblr page has turned into an Instagram account with over half a million followers, a go-to website for anything houseplant related, his very own houseplant care book, and plant time-lapse videos that have gone viral around the world.
January Meeting
Annual General Meeting and Flower Show Awards
If you are an EHS member, please join us in person or by Zoom for our annual January meeting.
Activities for this meeting include:
Nominations/Election of officers
Installation of new board members
Questions/Answers period
Flower Show Awards
This meeting will be held in person and by Zoom.
Zoom link details will be sent to members the Monday before the meeting.
December Meeting
We are very happy to wrap up our Centennial year with a bit of Canadian gardening history. At this meeting, we will be presenting the award winning documentary “We Lend a Hand”.
The author, Bonnie Sitter, of the book: Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Famerettes, on which the documentary is based, will be joining us in person, to answer questions after the presentation.
Her book will be available for sale at the meeting or if you are zooming in for this presentation you can purchase the book, on the Shop section of our website (please pick up your purchase at one of the EHS meetings). T-shirts and note card sets will be sold only at the meeting.
We would love it if the members attending would dress in true Farmerette style. (Visit https://welendahand.ca/ for ideas). To that end, instead of fascinators this year, bandanas or sunhats are fitting to the theme. (so, yes, your EHS bucket hat would work).
Meeting starts at 6:30pm for in-person attendees and 7:30 for members Zooming in. The event will also include:
Potluck Social Party: All members are asked to bring a sweet or savoury dish for the potluck.
Please ensure all treats you bring, can be eaten without utensils as the auditorium will be set up theatre style. To make it even more fun and in the spirit of the theme, treats could be sourced either from your mothers’ or grandmothers’ recipes or google Canadian Wartime Recipes for inspiration. What better way to absorb some Canadian history than with friends and food.
Large Door Prize for in-person attendance.
Food Bank Drive - Non perishable food donations are appreciated for our Food Bank Drive.
November Meeting
Meetings details: Guest Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Speaker: Paul Zammit
Topic: The Power of the Garden, a Personal Reflection and Journey
Speaker Bio:
With over 35 years of experience, Paul Zammit has become a respected figure in the world of gardening. Zammit is a faculty member at Niagara College and the former Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden, renowned for his passion for inspiring others in the field.
In addition to his work at Niagara College, one of Zammit’s notable contributions to horticulture is his role as the gardening host on popular radio programs “Ontario Today” and “Here and Now” on CBC Radio One. Through this platform, Zammit reaches a wide audience, sharing practical gardening tips, expert advice, and insights into the world of plants. His engaging presence and wealth of knowledge have made him a trusted voice in the gardening community.
Paul Zammit is actively involved in various horticultural organizations and initiatives including co-leading garden tours abroad with Marjorie and Jeff Mason. He is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and contributor to industry publications, sharing his insights and expertise with audiences worldwide.
Paul is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2019 and 2021 Garden Communicator of the Year award from Landscape Ontario. In 2023 he received the Educator award from the Perennial Plant Association.
October Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Special Prize raffle for all members who bring their own mug to the meeting!!!
Guest Speaker: Dugald Cameron
Topic: Climbers
About: Dugold will be speaking on climbing perennial plants, how to plant them and what conditions they need to thrive.
Clematis, as one of the most popular, will be a large part of the presentation.
Our Speaker’s Bio:
My gardening career began at an early age in my English Grandmother's garden where I'd occasionally help out with weeding & digging. I must have "caught the bug" then, because I've been interested in plants and gardens ever since. My wife Lynn Pashleigh, Father and I started Gardenimport, a mail order nursery in 1983 because we couldn't find the quality or selection of plants we wanted for our gardens. Offering a top quality selection of the latest seeds, flower bulbs and plants to Canadian gardeners from a catalogue and website. After 32 years of business Gardenimport was closed in 2014.
Dugald was on the board of directors at The Toronto Botanical Garden for 13 years and continues to volunteer there, teaching and writing for the Trellis magazine. He speaks on many subjects to Horticultural Societies in Southern Ontario and has sat in for Ed Lawrence on CBC’s Ontario Today and recently filled in for Paul Zammit on Later the Same Day.
Dugald was the founding president of the Greater Toronto Bulb Society and is a member of numerous horticultural societies. His diverse gardening interests include spring & summer flowering bulbs, shrubs, perennials and clematis.