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’.

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.

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.

hello@stonewellfarm.ca

www.stonewellfarm.ca

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

www.seedsofIMBOLC.ca

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.

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.

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.

www.growingseasoncanada.com

info@growingseasoncanada.com

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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