2009

April 7 Going for Gold, the World’s Favourite Roses, Ross Linton In addition to revealing the world’s favourite roses, as determined by the World Federation of Rose Societies, Ross will share tips for growing and showing this much-loved garden beauty. Past President and Honourary Vice-President of the Canadian Rose Society, Ross has a passion for Roses. At one time, his garden contained several hundred specimens!

May 5 What’s New in Herbs, Conrad Richter Herbal research and development is constantly resulting in important medical discoveries, as well as new culinary and aromatic delights, and an ever increasing array of decorative options for the garden landscape. Conrad will share his insights into what’s new on all these fronts, and introduce us to the 2009 Herb of the Year, Bay Laurel. Conrad Richter, President of Richters Herbs, is a Botanist and driving force in herbal research and development. Through his efforts, many herbal discoveries and plants of international-origin are now available to North American gardeners.

June 2 Pesticides: Who Needs ‘Em!, Carol Dunk Using a light-hearted approach to convey techniques for gardening without the use of synthetic chemicals to control pests and diseases, Master Gardener Carol Dunk will explain reasons for plant stress, as well as integrated pest management methods and the benefits of turf reduction. This is a timely topic given the new reality of pesticide bans. Carol Dunk is OHA District 16 Director (Simcoe County), Education Committee Chair of the Master Gardeners of Ontario, as well as a lively gardening educator, speaker and TV personality.

June 16 Lavender Lore, Kate Seaver Kate will provide insight into how Lavender can be grown successfully in our zone, as well as how to harvest and utilize this decorative and highly fragrant plant. Horticulturalist and talented decorator, Kate Seaver, is also owner of Kate’s Garden in Markham, and host of an annual Lavender Fair.

July 7 Organic Magic with Worms, Cathy Nesbitt Worms create nature’s finest fertilizer and are faster at transforming organic matter (food scraps and paper) into “garden gold” than traditional composting methods. Vermicomposting systems (composting with worms) require minimal space and can even be maintained indoors. Cathy will walk us through the process, from setup to harvest, in this eye-opening presentation. Cathy Nesbitt is an award-winning environmentalist and founder of Cathy’s Crawly Composters, specializing in indoor vermicomposting solutions.

August 4 Photography Competition, Raf Ollivierre This popular annual competition is open to all members of our society. Raf Ollivierre, our talented photography buff, will once again host the competition results, revealing the judges’ favourite photos. Keep in mind, one of the submitted photos may be selected for the cover of our next yearbook!

September 1 The Jarvie Garden – Creating a Work of Art, Marion Jarvie This visual story of a garden in all seasons features a wide variety of plants that create endlessly beautiful scenes. The emphasis on structure, colourful shrubs, vertical plants and bold dramatic foliage will inspire us to try something new. Marion Jarvie, celebrated horticulturalist, has spent more than 25 years teaching her craft and has lectured around the world. Her magnificent Thornhill garden, the subject of tonight’s presentation, has been featured in numerous magazines, and also on a book cover and a Canadian postage stamp.

October 6 Preparing for the Big Freeze, Charlie Dobbin Charlie will walk us through the process of preparing our gardens for the cold, including: winterization of plants with special needs, transitioning plants to the indoors, and tidying garden beds while still providing food for birds and attractive “winter interest.” Current co-host of the television program, “One Garden, Two Looks,” Charlie Dobbin is a well-known horticultural expert, popular public speaker, author, Richmond Hill resident, and honourary member of our society.

November 3 Hobby Night and Craft Fair Members are encouraged to share hobbies at this interesting, less structured meeting. Some exhibitors sell items and donate a portion of the proceeds to our society.

December 1 Holiday Celebration and Awards Night Celebrate the season with your gardening colleagues at this gala event where flower show winners are honoured with beautiful trophies, special contributions to the society are recognized, and many door prizes donated by members and local businesses are available to be won.

2010

January 12 Annual General Meeting, plus Photographic Recap of 2009 Following the Annual General Meeting, Raf Ollivierre will present a photographic slideshow featuring our many 2009 events and activities.

February 2 Designing a Garden: New and Old, Stephanie Morris Designing a garden from scratch or renovating a tired one need not be a daunting task. Stephanie’s Ten Tips for Success will move us easily through the design process. Stephanie will also inspire us with fresh ideas, and “before” and “after” examples, so that we may start dreaming of our special projects before spring. A landscape designer with more than twenty years of garden design and consultation experience, Stephanie Morris is also an engaging speaker at venues that include Canada Blooms and the CNE.

March 2 Great Gardens to Visit in Ontario, Frank Kershaw This is a “must” presentation for those who love gardens and short excursions. All destinations are within 4 hours of the GTA, enabling same-day return trips. Frank will narrate this pictorial journey of lovely public and private sanctuaries with stories of the gardens and their owners, as well as design considerations and plant collections. Frank Kershaw is an award-winning horticulturalist with more than thirty years of experience in the parks, environment and horticultural fields. An avid traveler and photographer, Frank has photographed more than 2,000 gardens worldwide. He is a popular speaker at horticultural events, as well as a teacher, tour guide and author.

Open to the public

May 9, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

September 12, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Come early to get the best selection!