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 7:00pm - 7:30pm before the meeting starts.
Attendance at general meetings is free to members.
2024/5 Meeting Schedule
We have a terrific line-up of speakers for our monthly 2024/5 meetings! And all meetings for our Centennial year will feature in-person presentations for all guest speakers.
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.
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.
November Meeting
Meetings details: Guest Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Speaker: Paul Zammit
Topic: TBA
About: TBA
Our 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.
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.
To all EHS members - Please help us with our planning by emailing whether you will be joining us in person or by Zoom by November 25th.
The event will include:
Potluck Social Party: All members are asked to bring a sweet or savoury dish for the potluck.
Garden Design Demonstration: Details will be added as we get closer to the meeting date.
Door Prizes and Holiday Fascinator Judging 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: Alchemy Awards Ceremony
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: Alchemy Awards Ceremony
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, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
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.
March Meeting
Meeting Activities: Guest Speaker, Baking Competition click here for details, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Guest Speaker: Clement Kent
Topic: Tapestry Lawns
About: From 2010 to 2014, Prof. Lionel Smith studied how to create a flowering lawn free of grasses for his Ph.D. He named them "tapestry lawns" and received the RHS Chelsea Silver Flora Medal in 2013. In 2019 he published "Tapestry Lawns. Freed from Grass and Full of Flowers." His work has been featured from scholarly journals to Martha Stewart. Clement has been corresponding with Prof. Smith and will show how Prof. Smith's tapestries enormously enrich the ecosystems of pollinators in a lawn. His lawns are adapted to England, but Clement will look at options for Ontario gardeners. Work is going on here to create tapestry lawn mixes adapted to the city or the cottage - Clement will feature a few of the people involved in this and their progress so far.
BIO
Professor Kent is a gardener, re-greener, scientist and plant lover. He will grow almost anything for fun, his core interest is using gardens, parks, and other public spaces to re-green the ecoloyg of where we live. Clement is the author of How to Make a Pollinator Garden (2011), and practice what he preaches. He has helped create many pollinator gardens in front yards, city parks, and roadsides. He has been on the Advisory Board of the City of Toronto's Pollinator Protection Program, and continues to host workshops with groups wanting to create green oases in their neighbourhoods.dia channels. He travels extensively to gardens and symposiums in his primary role as a communicator, documenter and sharer of ideas for this movement.
Clement studies insects scientifically their behaviour, their genetics, and the "big-data" area called genomics. Among the insects, bees are a special focus. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists ("honeybee professionals") and received the Canadian Pollinator Advocate award in 2011 from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign.
Clement is an adjunct professor at York University and Vice-President of the Horticultural Societies of Parkdale & Toronto. Clement helped found the Parkdale society in 1987 and Project Swallowtail in 2019.
April Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Click here for Flower Show Details
Guest Speaker: Marie Decker
Topic: 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.
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.
May Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Guest Speaker: Yvonne Tremblay
Topic: ”Tips and Tricks for Cooking with and Preserving Herbs"
Yvonne is passionate about culinary herbs! She will share about how to grow herbs for a good yield, then demonstrate various methods for preserving herbs by drying or freezing, and making herb vinegars, herb oils and herb butters. As she goes along she will give lots of tips on using fresh herbs in cooking. Food samples will be provided.
BIO
Yvonne is a recipe developer, cooking demonstrator and a part-time college nutrition professor; living in Mississauga. She has worked with major food companies and food marketing boards such as eggs, mushrooms, turkey and apples and is a Foodland Ontario television spokesperson and regular contributor to Foodland Ontario recipes.
Author of 5 cookbooks, including her new book:
Culinary Herbs – Grow. Preserve. Cook!
She is also a 6-time Grand Champion Jam and Jelly Maker at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, and author of 250 Home Preserving Favorites. She is known to put herbs in her jams and jellies too! (Some of these recipes are in her new cookbook, such as her Rosemary Apple Cider Jelly.)
Books - After the talk, Yvonne will be selling and signing copies her books.
Culinary Herbs $30 cash, cheque or money transfer acceptable.
June Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
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.
September Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions), Flower Show. Click here for Flower Show details
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.
October Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show. Click here for Flower Show details, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Speaker: Emily Seesa
Topic: All About Ferns
Presentation Description:
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.
November Meeting
Meetings details: Guest Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
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. Blooms of Power 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'.
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.
To all EHS members - Please help us with our planning by emailing whether you will be joining us in person or by Zoom by November 25th.
The event will include:
Potluck Social Party: All members are asked to bring a sweet or savoury dish for the potluck.
Xmas Decor Demonstration: This year one of our members will be sharing her design talent by creating a beautiful Holiday Garland which will be raffled off at the meeting.
Door Prizes for in-person attendance.
Food Bank Drive - Non perishable food donations are appreciated for our St. James Food Bank Drive.
September 2025 Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions), Flower Show. Click here for Flower Show details
Guest Speaker: Sean James
Topic: Fusion Gardening
About:
Encouraged by many municipalities and regions, Fusion Gardening® blends LID (rainwater handling) with xeriscaping (drought-tolerant gardening) and enfolds plantings to enhance biodiversity. One of the main foci of this style is to engage the public with beauty.
Since it’s so important that property owners take up this gauntlet, we’ll address the backbone of each of these disciplines, and discuss how to do each artfully. With climate change, storms are becoming stronger and less predictable. Droughts are getting longer. Many of us seek to use our gardens to do 'Good' for biodiversity.
Fusion Gardening™ does all these things by minimizing water use, keeping the water that falls on our property ON our property, and, through the favouring of native and wildlife-supporting plant choices, support the life that visits our yards.
Speaker’s Bio:
Sean owns ‘Sean James Consulting & Design’. Named by Landscape Ontario as 2020 and 2021’s Garden Communicator of the Year, 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’.
June Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Guest Speaker: Lorraine Johnson
Topic: A Pollinator Patch for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee
About: In this talk, Lorraine explores some of the surprising links between insect and plant relationships and how our gardens can support these dynamic interactions. Moving beyond charismatic species such as honeybees, monarchs and milkweeds, Lorraine shares inspiring information about lesser-known native wild bees, moths, beetles and more that are necessary for all life on earth, and how to welcome, not fear them in the garden.
Our Speaker’s Bio:
Lorraine Johnson has been writing books about native plant gardening and environmental stewardship for 35 years and is the author and/or editor of more than 10 books, including perennial favourites such as 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens.
Her most recent book is A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators, co-authored with Sheila Colla.
Lorraine’s work focuses on habitat gardening in the context of climate change and biodiversity; on reforming grass and weeds bylaws so that they support naturalized gardens; and on land stewardship as relationship-building in the context of reconciliation. For more information about Lorraine, see her website: www.lorrainejohnson.ca.
May Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Guest Speaker: Lee Ann Downey
Topic: Growing Lavender Successfully
About: Lee Ann will cover best practices for cultivar selection, growth, pruning, pests and use.
Our Speaker’s Bio: Lee Anne and her husband own a 93-acre farm on top of the escarpment near Terra Cotta and Erin. Lee Anne knew she wanted to be living close to nature, gardening, and with chickens and beehives; she just had to convince her husband that this was a good idea! She now has over 4500 lavender plants in the ground.
Lee Anne has just stepped down as the President of the Ontario Lavender Association of the last three years, became a Master Gardener in 2022, and does consulting and speaking engagements with people interested in learning about all things lavender!
Lee Anne loves learning, particularly about plants, soil and trees, but has now realized the more she learns, the less she knows.
April Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Click here for Flower Show Details
Guest Speaker: Robert Pavlis
Topic: Understanding Soil
Robert will discuss the basic components of soil and what makes good soil, the importance of microbes in building soil structure, and how gardeners can improve this. He’ll talk about some common soil myths and ways to add nutrients to the garden. Finally he will look at a new topic in gardening – the rhizosphere. This is a thin layer around roots that will change the way you think about soil.
Robert will bring copies of some of his books for sale at the meeting (please bring cash if you are interested in purchasing).
Our Speaker Bio:
Robert Pavlis is a well-known speaker, educator and myth buster with over 40 years of gardening experience. He is an award winning author of several books, Food Science for Gardeners, Building Natural Ponds, Soil Science for Gardeners, Plant Science for Gardeners, Compost Science for Gardeners, Microbe Science for Gardeners and Garden Myths and publishes the popular gardening blog; GardenMyths.com and a YouTube Channel; Garden Fundamentals. As the owner and head gardener of Aspen Grove Gardens, a six-acre botanical garden, he grows 3,000 varieties of plants.
My latest book is Food Science for Gardeners. https://www.gardenmyths.com/food-science-for-gardeners/
Published books: Garden Myths, Food Science for Gardeners, Plant Science for Gardeners, Soil Science for Gardeners
Microbe Science for Gardeners, Compost Science for Gardeners and Building Natural Ponds
Blog: Garden Myths
YouTube Channel: Garden Fundamentals
Facebook Groups: Garden Fundamentals and Building Natural Ponds
Owner of Aspen Grove Gardens
March Meeting
Meeting Activities: Two Speakers, Baking Competition click here for details, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
EHS Member Speaker: Cathy Faber Rowlands will share her key tips for entering the EHS Flower Show (after our guest speaker).
Guest Speaker: Tony Spencer
Topic: Wildscaping: Planting Design with a Canadian Twist
About: In the post-wild countryside of Ontario, Canada, Tony Spencer is conducting a series of open experiments to combine naturalistic planting design with green infrastructure into a fluid ecological art form. Working on the local level, he cultivates his universal concept of Wildscaping. This is about using plant-driven landscape design to create and sustain dynamic garden spaces to rekindle our relationship to the natural world. The focus of Tony’s presentation is how to link home to landscape in a symbiotic loop to build new nature and adapt to the inevitable extremes of the new climate.
Bio: Tony Spencer is the Canadian writer, digital creator and planting designer behind The New Perennialist. He is recognized and published internationally in the world of naturalistic garden design. Known for his award-winning blog, he also hosts The New Perennialist Talks, a webinar series featuring influential design innovators in the genre.
In 2024, Tony won his second top Landscape Design Award of Excellence from the US-based Perennial Plant Association (PPA) and in 2023, he was named PPA Garden Media Promoter of the year. He is also winner of the 2024 Media Awards Silver Laurel Medal of Achievement for Social Media presented by GardenComm: Garden Communicators International.
Day to day, Tony is a puckish ringleader for the naturalistic movement with over 85k followers on his various social media channels. He travels extensively to gardens and symposiums in his primary role as a communicator, documenter and sharer of ideas for this movement.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonySpencerTO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_new_perennialist/
Blog: www.thenewperennialsit.com
February Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Speaker: Paul Gellatly
Topic: One Hundred Years of a Flower that Lasts a Day
The Etobicoke Horticultural Society is 100 years old. In 1925, there were 14 new daylily registrations, bringing the total number of registrations to 94. Today, there are over 100,000 registered daylilies, 110 of which have been registered by Paul Gellatly.
In this talk, Paul will walk us through the last 100 years, he will introduce some of the award winning daylilies, and the hybridizers that created them. We’ll get a glimpse into the past, the present and the future of a flower that’s been gracing gardens for over 100 years, one day at a time.
Our Speaker Bio:
A passionate life-long horticulturist, Paul Gellatly is currently the CEO of ‘The Tattooed Gardener Inc. He was featured on season 1 of the television documentary series ‘Visionary Gardeners’. He is an avid collector of rare and unusual plants with a personal collection of over 800 tropical plants. He is also an experienced hybridizer of daylilies, with 107 registrations with the American Hemerocallis Society. Winner of the Douglas Lycett Award for top Daylily seedling in 2022, now registered as ‘Oscar Peterson’.
Paul has affiliations with the Toronto Botanical Garden as the former Director of Horticulture and The Toronto Zoo as former Curatorial Gardener managing one of Canada’s largest tropical plant collections.
Many online garden lovers may know Paul through his strong online presence as The Tattooed Gardener, with social media posts reaching 30-35 million people per month.
January Meeting
100th Anniversary Annual General Meeting and Flower Show Awards
If you are an EHS member, please join us in person or by Zoom for this special January meeting.
Activities for this meeting include:
100th Anniversary Announcement and Surprise Reveal
Nominations/Election of officers
Installation of new board members
Questions/Answers period
Flower Show: Alchemy Awards Ceremony
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
Join us to celebrate this years’ Holiday Celebration Event which is offered for in-person attendance at the Fairfield Senior Center and by Zoom.
To all EHS members - Please help us with our planning by emailing whether you will be joining us in person or by Zoom by November 25th.
The event will include:
Potluck Social Party: All members are asked to bring a sweet or savoury dish for the potluck.
Garden Design Demonstration: This year, Floral Designer Daniel Fani of Blooms&General, will be sharing his design talent by creating a beautiful Holiday Wreath which will then be raffled off at the meeting.
Door Prizes and Holiday Fascinator Judging for in-person attendance.
Food Bank Drive - Non perishable food donations are appreciated for our St. James Food Bank Drive.
Past Event: November Meeting
Meetings details: Guest Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Speaker: Gerald Dieleman
Topic: The Leaf, Canada’s Diversity Gardens
The Leaf, which opened in December 2022, is the most significant and innovative horticultural development undertaken in Canada in generations. In his presentation, Gerald will provide a visual tour of this stunning new attraction, highlight some of its sustainable operating features, and share the story of The Leaf’s modern purpose exploring the universal human connection with plants and nature.
Our Speaker Bio:
Gerald Dieleman is a landscape architect whose public garden experience includes Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, the Royal Horticulture Society in the UK, and 11 years with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, the not-for-profit organization responsible for redevelopment and operation of Winnipeg’s historic Assiniboine Park.
In his current role as senior director of horticulture, Gerald oversees the horticulture and forestry teams at Assiniboine Park and Zoo and played a key role in the development of the Park’s newest attraction, The Leaf – Canada’s Diversity Gardens.
Past Event: October Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show. Click here for Flower Show details, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Speaker: Guinevere Kern
Topic: Optimizing Horticulture for Health: The Case for Horticultural Therapy
Presentation Description:
“I cultivate my garden and my garden cultivates me” ~ Robert Breault
Research has shown that activities such as planting seeds and potting, watering, and caring for plants in indoor and outdoor settings have the capacity to significantly benefit both physical and mental health. Suitable for all ages, abilities and budgets, horticultural activities like these have been shown to reduce stress, lower anxiety and encourage overall mental and emotional well-being.
Rooted in those findings, Horticultural Therapy is the formal practice of purposefully using plants and nature-related activities to achieve goals that promote well being for its participants. Among other things, the cultivation and nurturing of living material helps clients develop self-esteem and new ways of thinking about life and self-care.
Join us on October 2nd when Guinevere Kern, Registered Horticultural Therapist, dives deeper into what Horticultural Therapy is, how horticulture can support health and wellness, and why this matters in the context of individual and communal health.
Presenter Bio:
Guinevere Kern is a passionate advocate, educator, and practitioner who strives to encourage curiosity, find nourishment, and build hope through the transformative power of horticulture.
Her current roles include working at Homewood Health Center in the Horticultural Therapy Department, teaching with Landscape Ontario’s GROW training program as a Horticulture Technical Instructor, and advocating for the professional development of Horticultural Therapy as a viable therapeutic modality.
She is an active member of the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA), American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA), and sits on the CHTA Education Committee. Guinevere brings a transdisciplinary approach to health and wellness that invites us to cultivate the precious interconnected relationship between plants, the broader environment, ourselves, and one another.
Past Event: September Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions), Flower Show. Click here for Flower Show details
Guest Speaker: Kevin Kavanaugh
Topic: The Increasing Threat of Invasives on our Gardens and Natural Areas
Kevin Kavanagh is the owner of South Coast Gardens and Consulting, a small nursery and landscape design business in heart of Ontario’s ‘Carolinian zone’.
Although an avid gardener for much of his life, Kevin spent most of his early career in the field of nature conservation working for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy of Canada and World Wildlife Fund Canada.
Kevin’s long standing interest in North American native plants began while conducting field studies in the diverse eastern forests of Carolinian Canada, the Appalachian Mountains and the U.S. southeast. Today, Kevin gets great satisfaction from growing and introducing customers to plants that provide benefits to pollinators, birds and other wildlife.
Kevin holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) from McGill University, a M.Sc. from York University and several years of post-graduate research in Botany at the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Grand Erie Master Gardeners and Niagara Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. Kevin has authored several book chapters and articles celebrating Canada’s wild places and the rich plant life of Ontario’s Carolinian zone.
Web Site: http://www.southcoastgardens.ca
June Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Guest Speaker: Anna Leggatt
Topic: Now I’ve got it, where do I put it?
How many of us have asked ourselves this very question (particularly after a plant shopping frenzy)?. Anna will offer suggestions on how to decide where to plant new purchases and where to move existing plants.
Our Speaker Bio:
Anna has a BSc. in Botany from London University, a Diploma in Nature Interpretation from Humber College and a Diploma in Horticulture from Guelph.
She is currently employed as a part time Nature Interpreter at the Kortright Centre for Conservation. Anna teaches occasionally at the Toronto Botanical Garden covering topics such as general gardening and more specialized courses such as Water and Rock gardening. Anna is a past chair of the Ontario Rock Garden Society, former editor of the ORGS newsletter, past Director of North American Rock Garden Society and much, much more.
She is basically a mad gardener, gardening in a comparatively large garden in Toronto with lots of shade and mink, deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. Anna loves shrubs, bulbs, rock gardening, wildflowers, Japanese effects, working with stone and changing her garden design. She says she wants to grow vegetables. However, the deer and groundhog would like them as well.
May Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Guest Speaker: Dugold Cameron
Topic: The Fragrant Garden
Fragrance is one of our strongest memories. Childhood memories of a garden’s fragrance remain ageless, reawakening recollections years later. Perhaps this explains that irresistible reflex to sniff flowers. I’m a big fan of fragrant gardens and will discuss the seasons of fragrance you can add to your garden. We’ll examine various fragrant flower bulbs, perennials, annuals, shrubs and vines including where to plant them and what they need to thrive.
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. He 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.
April Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Click here for Flower Show Details
Guest Speaker: Cathy Kavassalis
Topic: Small Trees for Small Spaces
Often called the backbone of a garden, trees and shrubs give a yard structure and form. They provide benefits of year round beauty, while improving our environment and providing food and habitat for wildlife. How do you choose the right tree for your space? Large trees can be kept small, but there are many small trees and large shrubs that may be a better fit. This talk focuses on native keystone species that are best for biodiversity. The possibilities for small spaces, while not endless, are extensive. Come and get a few ideas for creating your own small oasis.
Our Speaker Bio:
Catherine Kavassalis is a passionate gardener and conservationist. A former chemist and teacher, she did her doctoral work at M.I.T. and later received a master's in environmental education from the University of Toronto. She has taught and worked with not-for-profit organizations promoting biodiversity. Now she volunteers as an educator and inspirational speaker.
She is an active member of the Halton Region group of Master Gardeners of Ontario (MGOI) and helps moderate the MGOI Facebook Group. She was a former President of Oakville Horticultural Society and member of the Board of Directors for the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Catherine loves to garden and believes that caring for plants is critical for our well being and that of our planet. Catherine enjoys learning and sharing knowledge and by doing so endeavors to stimulate interest and awe in the living world.
March Meeting
Meeting Activities: Two Speakers, Baking Competition click here for details, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
EHS Member Speaker: Cathy Faber Rowlands will share her key tips for entering the EHS Flower Show (after our guest speaker).
Guest Speaker: Melissa Cameron
Topic: 10 Strategies for Improving your Garden through increasing ecological diversity
Join Melissa as she shares her tried and true strategies for growing a more abundant garden. Learn how enhancing the biodiversity in your home garden will lead to not only an improved garden but a deeper connection to your space and to nature.
Our Speaker Bio:
Melissa Cameron is an Organic Master Gardener and founder of the Good Seed, a garden education and design company. She has been featured on websites such as Farmer’s Footprint, Floret, and Toronto Life, and is the regular garden contributor for Global Vegan Magazine and the Tonic Living Show. The Good Seed specializes in organic edible gardens, pollinator and native garden plantings and sustainable cut flower garden designs. In addition, she is the co-founder Abermoray Garden Collective, a not-for-profit that grows organic food and donates it to families with young children facing food insecurity.
Melissa is also the co-founder of gardenologie, an online garden education platform. She currently resides in Toronto, Ontario as well as Orwell, Prince Edward Island. Melissa grew up in Etobicoke, Ontario and loves spending time outdoors with her husband and four children.
https://thegoodseedgarden.com
February Meeting
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Seed Exchange, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Guest Speaker: Kat Granger
Topic: Enjoy Nature’s Abundance - Grow Food; Save Seeds!
Our guest speaker:
Katherine Granger, a Master Gardener & Creator of Seeds of IMBOLC, in Fergus, Ontario, produces heirloom organic seed, plants, dahlias and fresh/dried flowers.
Her focus is on sustainability and sharing our intrinsic connection with nature through classed, workshops and social media.
Kat has been featured on talk shows including “Let’s Get Growing”, spoken at the Pollination Guelph Symposium, hosts a monthly newsletter “Home on the Grange” and writes papers on gardening. Kat is a member of the ASCFG and the Fergus Horticultural Society.
January Meeting
Annual General Meeting and Flower Show: Alchemy Awards Ceremony
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: Alchemy Awards Ceremony
This meeting will be held in person and by Zoom.
Zoom link details will be sent to members the Monday before the meeting.
November Meeting - Past Event
Meetings details: Guest Speaker
Guest Speaker: Robert Pavlis
Topic: Garden Myths
Robert Pavlis is a well-known speaker, and educator with over 40 years of gardening experience. He is the author of two books, Building Natural Ponds, and Garden Myths and publishes the popular gardening blogs; GardenMyths.com and GardenFundamentals.com. As the owner and head gardener of Aspen Grove Gardens, a six-acre botanical garden, he grows 3,000 varieties of plants. Robert will help us learn the truth behind many of the garden myths that exist and may be misleading gardeners.
Robert lives in Southern Ontario, Canada, which has a US zone 5 climate and have been gardening for more than 30 years. He is a Master Gardener and speaks about gardening at many local gardening events and horticulture meetings. He contributes the ‘Plant of the Month’ articles for the Ontario Rock Garden & Hardy Plant Society, writes articles for some local newspapers and teach several courses including a 20hr Gardening Fundamentals course at the local university and a garden design course through the city.
Robert has a background in chemistry and biochemistry which allows him to research topics and understand the underlying science behind things. Once he understands the topic he can then present the information in an easy to understand style that is both informative and fun to read.
My gardening philosophy:
– Understand the ‘why’ in everything you do.
– Look to nature for answers – mother nature already knows how to garden.
– KISS in the garden; KISS = keep it simple stupid.
– Bugs and diseases are part of life – learn to live with it.
– Organic gardening works – too bad ‘organic fanatics’ mislead the public.
– Have fun – or stop doing it.
September Meeting - Past Event
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Master Gardeners (available for questions), Flower Show. Click here for Flower Show details
Guest Speaker: Matthew McFarland and Father
Topic: Overs - overwatering, over fertilizing, over pruning and knowing when and when not to over!
"What's wrong with my [FILL IN THE BLANK]?" "I water it routinely, its fertilized on a six week cycle, I prune it religiously and its not thriving!"Jack and Matt McFarland hear this ALL. THE. TIME. In fact, the correlation between over-caring for your plant materials and their failure to thrive is a strong one.
Veterans in the landscape consult/design/install industry, The McFarland's guide you through the ins and outs of "Overs," as in over-watering, over-pruning, over-fertilizing and over-salting.
What plants can you use as a barometer for moisture in your garden? Is there a fool proof way to prune that isn't over pruning? What are some simple guidelines for fertilizing your plant materials? What does stress from overdoing it look like and I can I correct it? Jack and Matt will discuss plants that are "over-tolerant" and how to design a garden with these plants in mind.
All this and more on "Overs with The Growing Season."
JACK AND MATT MCFARLAND
From the age of 10 Matt McFarland found himself on his father’s landscape sites. Jack, a veteran with 49 years in the field, instilled in his son a love of the outdoors and the elegance of working with rock and plants. With such an influence it was no surprise that Matt attended Humber College’s Landscape Technician Program.
Graduating top of his class, Matt ventured out and took over the family business - his Dad mentoring every move. After years of on-site adventures Matt decided to pursue another love - broadcasting.
Enter “The Growing Season.”
With Mom and Dad along for the ride The McFarlands focus on the humour in horticulture and pepper their broadcasts with tales from the job site every Saturday morning at 11AM on Etobicoke’s Sauga 960AM. In April of 2022 The Growing Season was syndicated across Ontario by Vista Radio. All told, the show is heard by over 150,000 listeners per week and growing.
As well, Matt can be seen on The Weather Network throughout the on-season.
With their design services being requested internationally, Matt and Jack McFarland continue to be active participants in horticultural adventures. Design/consult and install - they get their hands really dirty...
“Galánta”
Elegance in Gaelic, and the trademark of anything Growing Season, is the motto that the McFarlands live by.
May Meeting - Past Event
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions). Click here for Flower Show Details.
Guest Speaker: Denise Hodgins
Topic: Prune Away!
Denise Hodgins O.D.H. of Digging Dirt Designs, is a landscape designer and garden coach. A graduate of Landscape Design from Fanshawe College, she also holds a diploma in horticulture from the University of Guelph.
Denise is a horticulture and floral design judge for the OHA and a certified Rose Judge. She writes a weekly column “Growing Concern” in the London Press and is an associate writer for several Post Media papers.
Her presentation Prune Away! will cover what and when to prune your trees, shrubs and other plants in your garden. If you are afraid to prune and loose the blooms or worried about misshaping shrubs, Denise will be teaching us about how to make basic cuts, how cuts can influence growth, the best tools to prune with and when to stop cutting.
April Meeting - Past Event
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show, Master Gardeners (available for questions)
Click here for Flower Show Details
Guest Speaker: Kevin Kavanaugh
Topic: Selecting Trees and Shrubs in response to our Changing Climate
Kevin Kavanagh is the owner of South Coast Gardens and Consulting, a small nursery and landscape design business in heart of Ontario’s ‘Carolinian zone’. Although an avid gardener for much of his life, Kevin spent most of his early career in the field of nature conservation working for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy of Canada and World Wildlife Fund Canada.
Kevin’s long standing interest in native plants was fully ignited while undertaking graduate field studies in the diverse eastern forests of Carolinian Canada, the Appalachian Mountains and the U.S. southeast. Today, Kevin gets great satisfaction from working with clients to design gardens that provide benefits to pollinators, birds and incorporate elements of Ontario’s historical gardening heritage.
Kevin holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) from McGill University, a M.Sc. from York University and several years of post-graduate research in Botany at the University of Toronto. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Niagara Chapter of the Rhododendron Society of Canada and is a member of the Grand Erie Master Gardeners. Kevin is the author of several book chapters and articles celebrating Canada’s wild places and the rich plant life of the Carolinian zone.
Details of Kevin’s presentation:
As gardeners are aware, selecting plants that will thrive in their yard means taking into consideration those that will be well suited to their local climate. Trees and shrubs, because of their longevity, can become legacy pieces for the property to be passed on to future homeowners. For these long lived elements of our gardens, however, our changing climate and weather patterns introduce some increasingly unpredictable factors for plant choice. This presentation will reflect on some of the changing climate scenarios that may influence plant performance in the years ahead and provide guidance on selection of woody plant characteristics that may prove more resilient to our shifting climate here in southern Ontario.
Website: SouthCoastGardens.ca
Twitter: @scgardens
Stay tuned for more details.
March Meeting - Past Event
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Baking Competition click here for details
Guest Speaker: Carlos Moniz
Topic: Tour of the Butchart Gardens, Victoria B.C.
Carlos has been employed at the Butchart Gardens for 48 years and currently holds the position as the Director of Horticultural. As part of a family tradition Carlos follows in the footsteps of his father who was the Head Gardener during the 1980’s. Carlos plays an integral role in the designing and coordinating the installation of the spectacular floral displays which involves the annual summer and spring plantings. He is also quite involved in the design of the many landscape changes created throughout the gardens.
His presentation will guide us through the beautiful Butchart Gardens in Victoria B.C.
February Meeting - Past Event
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Seed Exchange
Guest Speaker: Emma Biggs
Topic: Growing Food in Small Spaces and Containers
Our guest speaker:
Emma Biggs gardens in the city of Toronto, where she is very fortunate to have a large yard, but as most gardeners can relate to, she still wants more growing space. She shares all the ways that she makes use of her limited space, including growing vertically, in containers, in straw bales on her driveway, on the garage rooftop, and more. Emma also shares some of the best crops to grow if you have a limited amount of space.
Emma’s passion is growing tomatoes, trying new, unusual crops, and saving seeds. She has raised over 80 tomato varieties in her Toronto garden in 2022, and loves to try weird and wonderful plant projects. Emma is the co-host of The Food Garden Life Show and her latest book is Gardening with Emma. Find out what Emma has been up to recently on Instagram @emmabiggs_grows.
January Meeting - Past Event
Annual General Meeting
Guest Speaker: Paul Gellatly
Topic: Success with Houseplants
Annual General Meeting with members includes: nominations/election of officers, installation of new board.
Our guest speaker: A passionate life-long horticulturist, Paul Gellatly was recently featured on the new television documentary series ‘Visionary Gardeners’. He is an avid collector of rare and unusual plants with a personal collection of over 800 tropical plants. He is also an experienced hybridizer of daylilies, with 46 registrations with the American Hemerocallis Society.
Paul has affiliations with the Toronto Botanical Garden as the former Director of Horticulture and The Toronto Zoo as former Curatorial Gardener managing one of Canada’s largest tropical plant collections.
Many online garden lovers may know Paul through his strong online presence as The Tattooed Gardener, with social media posts reaching 25-30 million people per month.
Details of Paul’s presentation:
Paul Gellatly will uncover the mystery, and share some of his secrets for success with tropical plants. His presentation will cover the basics of indoor plant care, key watch-outs and how to treat common pests.
For those who have been growing plants for decades, or are first-time plant parents, Paul’s presentation will leave you wanting to add to your collection… And you’re in luck! Paul will be bringing some plants he’ll be highlighting to sell after his talk.
Whether you’re interested in gesneriaceae, aroidacea, or orchidaceae, or you think I just swore in a different language, you’re sure to come out of this talk with a new sense of hope, some new information, and a greener thumb.
Meeting Activities: AGM, Speaker
December Meeting- Past Event
Guest Speaker: Heinke Thiessen
Topic: The Curated Garden
We are thrilled to welcome Heinke Thiessen who will describe how a Curated Garden can provide year-round enjoyment as well as materials for floral design and seasonal botanical crafts.
Heinke has always felt a connection to the natural world starting in her youngest years growing up on a dairy farm in the Eastern Townships in Quebec. Her interest in plants led to the formation of her own landscape company, teaching in the Horticultural Program at Sheridan College and becoming an accredited Horticulture and Floral Design Judge. Now retired, Heinke continues to pursue her interest in horticultural and floral design and enjoys connecting with like-minded people both virtually and in person.
Potluck Social Party - Join us to celebrate the holiday season!
All members are asked to bring a sweet or savoury dish for the potluck.
Non perishable food donations are appreciated for our St. James Food Bank Drive.
November Meeting - Past Event
Guest Speaker: Carson Arthur
Topic: Going Green to save some Green
Carson Arthur is a landscape designer, a worldwide television personality, host of radio show “Take it Outside” and author of several books. He teaches how to improve your home’s value through outdoor renovation while maintaining a focus on environmentally friendly choices.
Meeting Activities: Speaker
October Meeting: Past Event
This will be a hybrid meeting offered in person and via Zoom for those unable to attend.
Guest Speaker: Jeanne McRight
Topic: Low Maintenance Boulevards Garden
All you need to know to create a beautiful, drought-proof, salt resistant, no-mow boulevard garden.
Jeanne McRight is a professional visual artist, Master Gardener, retired teacher and founder of Blooming Boulevards. She focuses on environmental conservation, specializing in native plants, woodland restoration and naturalized landscaping. Gardening is Jeanne’s joy and passion, but more than that, she is a deeply committed advocate for environmentally sustainable horticultural practices.
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show details.
September Meeting: Past Event
This will be a hybrid meeting offered in person and via Zoom for those unable to attend.
Guest Speaker: Sean James
Topic: It Doesn’t End in August - Extending Interest in the Garden
Named by Landscape Ontario as 2020 and 2021’s Garden Communicator of the Year, gardening has been Sean James’ hobby and profession for almost 40 years.
A graduate of Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, a Master Gardener, writer, and teacher, Sean focuses on eco-gardening techniques, which makes sense since he grew up surrounded by nature near Crawford Lake in Campbellville.
Sean has spoken from the Maritimes to Seattle and landscaped from Nova Scotia to California. Sean was part of creating the new Ontario Landscape Tree Planting Guide, the Grow-Me-Me-Instead guide, the Ontario Horticultural Apprenticeship Curriculum, the National Red Seal Occupational Standard, and the Master Gardeners Reference Manual.
Sean has participated in chairing the Environmental Stewardship Committee for Landscape Ontario, the Environmental Committee for the Perennial Plant Association, moderating the Master Gardeners of Ontario Facebook page, judging the All-American Selections garden competition and Hamilton’s Monarch Awards. He has been the Ontario spokesperson for Garden Days Canada, has appeared on many radio shows and on television.
Sean owns ‘Sean James Consulting & Design’ and instructs at Mohawk College.
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show details.
June Meeting: Past Event
This will be a hybrid meeting with an in person option as well as via Zoom.
Guest Speaker: Ellen Schwartzel
Topic: Ravines and How to Co-exist in Them
Toronto’s ravine landscapes are not just a sanctuary for wildlife; they also protect the city against flooding and allow us to enjoy nature at our doorsteps. Learn how the ravines are changing over time; how they are responding to numerous pressures and how you can explore and help protect them.
Ellen Schwartzel is President of the Toronto Field Naturalists.
Ellen's career in environmental policy included 23 years with the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, and she was Ontario's Deputy Environmental Commissioner from 2014 until retiring in 2018.
Meeting Activities: Speaker, Flower Show
Click here for Flower Show details.
May Meeting: Past Event
Guest Speaker: Lorraine Roberts
Topic: Tour of Plant Paradise Country Gardens, Caledon
Lorraine Roberts is a lifelong organic gardener, environmental advocate and educator for sustainable organic gardening methods. She is a perennial expert, garden designer, photographer and author of two books: Spectacular Plant Combinations for the Perennial Garden and A Recipe for Continuous Bloom. Lorraine and her husband Robert are the owners of the multi-award winning – Plant Paradise Country Gardens™ located in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. The botanical gardens at Plant Paradise Country Gardens were created by Lorraine and are an ever changing, artistic expression of her love of gardening.
In this presentation, Lorraine Roberts takes you on a vibrant tour of Plant Paradise Country Gardens. She artistically uncovers the design techniques and history behind the creation of the spectacular perennial gardens that have drawn visitors to her award-winning, 24 acre botanical garden and organic perennial nursery Plant Paradise Country Gardens in Caledon Ontario
Meeting Activities: Speaker