All presentations are now available as webinars with time for a Q & A period. In the interests of staying ‘green’, audience handouts will be provided on the Gardening Tips page on our website.
To book a speaker, go here.
Our presentations are categorized by broader ‘areas of interest’.
NEW FOR 2024
Edible Flowers
Not all flowers are safe to eat, but those that are can offer a unique burst of flavour and colour to many dishes. Join us to learn which flowers are safe to eat and their potential health benefits.
Garden Myths
Let’s take a look at some common garden myths and use science-based information to debunk them. We will provide you with current information and advice to use in your gardens.
Seed Saving
This presentation will provide you with the information and inspiration to begin collecting and storing your own seeds.
THE BASICS
How to Plan a Successful Garden
This presentation on planning a successful garden covers evaluating site conditions, other factors such as maintenance, function and style and finally planning your garden space and selecting plants.
Preparing Your Garden for Spring
Spring is a time of renewal in the garden and this talk provides information on getting your garden ready for the new growing season. Topics covered include spring clean up, lawn care, creating healthy soil, insect and weed control, planting and mulches.
Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter
A presentation about getting your garden ready for winter, what to clean up, what to leave, how to deal with annuals, perennials, bulbs, evergreens, ornamental grasses, roses, shrubs, trees and lawns.
Perennials
In this presentation, we focus on perennial plants used in a permanent garden. Topics covered include the ideal conditions for various plants, the many colours and sizes available in both flowers and foliage. We also cover the where and when of planting, pruning, adding or removing to make your perennial garden beds a thing of wonder.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOIL
Soil: It all Begins Here
Soil is one of our most important resources and yet many of us know very little about it. This presentation will provide an introduction to soil, what it is, the different soil textures, the soil food web and how to create healthy soil.
Compost: Black Gold for Your Garden
Discover how easy it is to turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich, dark compost in your own backyard. Learn the benefits of backyard composting; how to get started, and the ingredients you need to make it work.
HERBS
Herbs in Your Garden
This presentation highlights best practices for successfully growing culinary herbs in your garden, whether it be in containers or in your garden bed. Tips for harvesting, methods of preserving and other culinary uses are also discussed.
Around the World Herbs
Get a taste of travel without leaving your kitchen! This presentation will help you plan inspired gardens with herbs from the east, west and many places in between. Grow and cook with herbs such as Thai Basil, Lovage, Sweet Cicely and more. Bon Voyage!
VEGETABLE GARDENING / SEEDS
Introduction to Vegetable Gardening
This one hour presentation will cover the why, where and how of growing your own vegetables, including a breakdown of cool and warm season crops, small space gardening and companion planting to maximize your harvest.
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
A lack of space for a vegetable garden doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own vegetables. In this presentation, we give you lots of great information about growing vegetables in containers, and show you how from early spring to late fall you can successfully grow and harvest fresh food.
Square Foot Gardening
Discover the Square Foot Gardening method that allows you to grow more vegetables, herbs and flowers in less space. This talk will explain the principles of Square Foot Gardening and describe the steps to completing your own garden bed. Other complimentary gardening techniques such as vertical gardening, succession planting and companion planting are touched upon in order to help provide additional tips and techniques for a successful harvest.
Companion Planting
This presentation covers how plants can benefit each other by being planted in proximity to each other. This helps in pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial creatures and maximizing the use of your space.
Starting Plants from Seed
In this presentation, we will provide the home gardener with the right knowledge and skills to make them successful at starting seeds at home for planting in the spring. Topics covered include proper storage of seeds, when to start seeds, germination requirements, lighting, thinning and transplanting, fertilizing and hardening off.
GARDEN ANCHORS
Shrubs for All Seasons
The focus of this talk is using shrubs in your landscape for colour and seasonal interest, including a brief overview of design. A selection of flowering shrubs and shrubs with colourful foliage or woody stems will be discussed, along with the newest offerings available for planting in this area.
Trees for Small Spaces
In this presentation, we discuss the smaller urban spaces of most homeowners today, the things to consider when choosing a tree and the different types of trees and examples of each.
Hydrangeas
This presentation provides an understanding of the different types of hydrangeas, their care and pruning requirements. It covers how to create pink or blue flowers for hydrangea macrophylla, as well as, information on potential pests, how to dry blooms for indoor use and information on new varieties on the market.
Roses for Today’s World
Roses are still one of the most popular garden plants. In this presentation, we talk about why people want to plant roses, the major rose categories and how you can use roses in your garden, as well as the reality of dealing with Rose pests and the best new varieties.
HOT TOPICS
Gardening for Climate Change
Climate change is a new reality. What can we do to protect ourselves and combat climate change in gardening?
Invasive Species and Their Environmental Impact
We will introduce you to invasive plant species in Ontario and provide a guide to identifying and controlling invasive species in your garden and community.
Creating Naturalized Gardens
This presentation focuses on creating naturalized gardens, what they are, how to plan a garden and evaluate your site. Then we cover 4 types of native gardens and some of the typical plants found in each one, choosing native plants for your garden, buying plants or growing from seed.
Gardening for Pollinators
In this presentation, we focus on some of our important native pollinators and the gardening practices that we can all implement in our gardens to help our native pollinators survive and thrive in the face of habitat loss and other threats.
Pollinator Gardening for Children
An introduction to gardening to attract pollinators specifically aimed at children.
What Can Gardeners do in the Winter?
For people who can’t wait for spring, this presentation explores a range of activities gardeners can pursue in the winter including planning and preparing for spring, winter garden art projects, indoor plants and starting seeds.
Gardening in a New Subdivision: What to do and what to avoid
Gardening in a new subdivision presents a homeowner with a mix of standard gardening
situations with some additional challenges. Learn what to do and what not to do in key areas.
a) Designing, planning, implementing b) Soil, sun, water c) Plantings – the what, where and
how for trees, shrubs, perennials d) Trending outside the box ideas – no mow lawn, square foot
gardening, containers, native plant and pollinator gardens.
Creating Winter Interest in Your Garden
This presentation is a design primer on making your garden look great in all seasons. It provides basic landscape design themes with examples of how you can apply them to your garden. The latter part of the presentation highlights specific plants and trees to use for winter interest.
SPECIAL INTERESTS
Gardens and Wellness
Gardening contributes to our wellness in many ways. This presentation will take you through the history of nature and wellness and the many benefits of gardening. We will also present you with the inspiration to get started on your gardening for wellness journey.
Raising Monarch Butterflies
Monarchs are on the increase, in no large part due to homeowners and gardeners planting milkweed to encourage monarch development. What should you do when you find those pretty caterpillars on your milkweed?
Bulbs: Jewels in the Garden
This presentation covers the history and descriptions of bulbs, how you can use them in your garden, buying, planting and care tips. We will include some favourites, their blooming periods and esthetics.
Potscaping/Container Gardening
This presentation covers all of the key ingredients for successfully gardening in containers. The topics covered include containers, the right soil, and how to select the right plants based on colour, texture, scale and shape.
Gardening for the Birds
The focus for this talk is to provide an understanding of the needs of birds, how to design your garden to provide food, shelter and nesting spots. In addition, a seasonal selection of native trees, shrubs and perennials will be presented, along with how they meet the needs of various species of birds. Our intention is to inspire home gardeners to create native habitats and balanced ecosystems in their own landscapes.
Xeriscaping or Water-Wise Gardening
It is becoming increasingly more important to learn how to conserve water. The goal of Xeriscaping is to design and create gardens that can survive dry periods on their own without a lot of supplemental watering or fertilizing. This presentation will help you understand how to conserve water in the garden, select the right plants and how to maintain them.
Rain Gardens
Learn how and why water runoff has become a serious threat to our environment and what you can do to help offset the problem on your own property. Learn the basic principles of creating a rain garden and how a rain garden works, plus plants to choose to make your rain garden successful.
Indoor Plants
Many houseplants are easy to grow, but they must be given appropriate care in order to thrive. In this presentation, we provide numerous plant care tips and best practices to ensure your plants’ survival.
In Person Workshops
Workshops are typically 2 to 3 hours in length.
Balcony Gardening Workshop
This workshop will provide participants with the necessary knowledge to successfully grow flowers and vegetables in containers. Topics covered include starting plants from seed, selecting containers, soils and potting mixes, what to grow, design and site considerations, and companion planting.
Pollinators Workshop
This 2-hour workshop focuses on pollinators, why they are important, what they are and the threats to them. We cover good gardening practices for pollinators and the use of native plants to create pollinator and bird friendly habitats in our gardens. Hands on activities include building a mason bee house and planting native seeds in peat pots.
Seed Saving Workshop This workshop will give participants the skills and confidence to start saving their own seeds. Topics covered include what are seeds, selecting seeds to save, how to store seeds and how to check for viability. The activities include identifying and gathering seeds from a nearby park or garden, sorting and preparing seeds for storage.
Introduction to Vegetable Gardening Workshop
This two hour workshop will start with an introduction to soil, what it is, how to test it and how to amend it. Then we will cover the vegetable garden design and layout, siting and exposure, starting vegetables from seed, selecting what vegetables to grow and companion planting. The hands-on activities include soil texture tests, planting seeds in peat pots or germinating in plastic bags, as well as a square foot gardening demonstration.
FEE SCHEDULE
Webinar (45 minute presentation and a 15 minute Q & A) $150
In Person Presentation (45 minute presentation and a 15 minute Q & A) $150
In Person Workshop Price to be determined depending on the number of attendees/materials required/venue/time commitment etc.
Mileage .50 cents per kilometre from the presenter’s home to venue and return.