Varying the height of woodies and perennials can provide key dramatic elements in the garden and enable the development of layers of plants. This design principle gives richness and depth to beds and borders, essential elements in the evolution of a garden.

The focus of many gardeners is the twelve inches closest to the ground - the domain of ground covers and perennials.  Marion will encourage us to continue upward, aiming for space in the realm of two feet and then three feet and then beyond the three feet provided by 90% of perennials and shrubs so as to develop a garden's character, richness and fullness.

Additionally, vertical elements offer form and structure throughout the year, including winter, when they are especially valuable.

Marion Jarvie is a passionate plantswoman who has been gardening in Thornhill for more than forty years. Several weekends annually, she opens her beautiful garden to the public to showcase plants in spring, summer and autumn. An enthusiastic educator, Marion teaches courses on gardening subjects at the Toronto Botanical Garden, and she has lectured all over North America and the United Kingdom. For more information about Marion, including the dates that her garden will be open in 2024, visit www.MarionJarvie.ca. This is Marion's twelfth presentation to our society since her first in 1978.

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Tonight's guest speaker is planning to attend our meeting in-person.

All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged 
• In-person attendees will be able to visit Flower Show entries

For more information about this fundraiser,
please visit our Plant Sale page.

As a part of the Richmond Hill Blooms activities for 2024 our Horticultural Society is participating in an in-person kick-off event on the evening of May 15.

This free workshop will cover the importance of planning, taking into consideration property size, budget, time availability, soil and moisture conditions.  It will also provide recommendations for designs and plants for different conditions.

Representatives of our society will be hosting a plant sale this evening.

Click the below link for more information and to register for this event, hosted by the City of Richmond Hill.  

Richmond Hill Blooms 

From where in the world do your plants originate? What are the impacts of your plant choices? By introducing non-native plants to the land in our care, we are changing biological diversity near and far. Escaped garden plants can cause great harm, disrupting food webs and ecosystems. As our climate warms, the problems associated with invasive plants, pests and diseases will increase. Tonight's speaker invites us to come and learn how we can make better choices in our gardens to safeguard nature.  Get inspired as we explore how we can create beautiful, environmentally sustainable spaces that meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own.

Cathy Kavassalis is a passionate gardener and conservationist. A scientist, educator and inspirational speaker, Cathy endeavors to stimulate interest and awe in the living world. She is the co-founder of the Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation, a member of the Halton Master Gardeners group, a past president of the Oakville Horticultural Society, and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Royal Botanical Garden. Cathy is working to remove invasive plants and improve the health of the land in her care in Seguin, Ontario. This is Cathy's second presentation to our society.

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Tonight's speaker is planning to attend our meeting virtually via Zoom. A live video broadcast of her remote participation will be projected onto a large screen in the auditorium.

All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged

This is a MUST presentation for anyone interested in growing and harvesting plants for teas.  Julia will discuss how to grow a tea garden, the tools needed, garden types and the number of plants recommended. The origin of true tea will be covered, the differences between green, white, oolong and black tea and how they compare to tisanes. Best brewing techniques for each tea will be discussed, along with three different brewing methods for tisanes. Different plant parts for herbal teas will be covered, as well as proper harvesting techniques, and preserving and storage methods. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on brewing vessels, tea bags and why homegrown tea is better than store-bought. Some herbal plant ideas will also be shared.

Julia Dimakos, also known as "The Gardening Girl," has been growing edible plants on her Mono, Ontario acreage and writing about gardening for more than thirteen years.  She was twice published in the Canadian Organic Grower magazine and became a published author in July of 2022, with her first book “Tea Gardening for Beginners”.  She loves to inspire others to have their own gardens by showing them a less complicated, yet smarter way to grow food. You can find her at her website - www.juliadimakos.com, on Instagram @juliadimakos, and at her YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/gardeninggirl. This is Julia's second presentation to our society.



All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged

The Richmond Hill Garden & Horticultural Society presents
"Artful Gardens"
Open Gates Garden Tour
Sunday, July 7th
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Tour eight unique gardens in the Richmond Hill area.
Ticket price will be $15 per person via our site.

Please check back for updates!

Many presume that Cactus only grow in a hot, dry environment; few presume Canada to be a host for cactus particularly those areas with cold, wet winters and humid summers. Today, Sharon and John Bowler talk to us about Canadian cactus history, and will share with us their winter hardy cactus garden. They will offer suggestions for landscaping with, propagating, and caring for cactus in all seasons in our gardens.

Sharon and John Bowler are members of the Grimsby Garden Club and the Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plant Society. Sharon and John have won awards for their institutional and residential garden designs. Their shared passion for gardening is on display in their garden in Grimsby, Ontario which is home to over fifty varieties of winter hardy Cactus.



All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged 
• In-person attendees will be able to visit Flower Show entries

Jeff will ask us to imagine the excitement of moving to the property that will become a dream garden, putting that first shovel in the ground, and discovering that you have just moved on to a 2-acre sand pile! His presentation explores the trials and tribulations, successes and failures of creating a great garden on dry sand. From the un-watered Xeric garden to the increasing amounts of dry shade, a vast array of perennials, shrubs, and annuals have been successfully cultivated under these tough conditions. In a talk that is part biographical, part technical, and part inspirational, Jeff will share techniques for site preparation, plant selection, as well as “right plant, right place” planting schemes.

Jeff is the owner of Mason House Gardens, a specialty plant nursery growing uncommon perennials, specialty annuals, heirloom vegetables, and tropical plants for containers and houseplants. He has dedicated his life to the cultivation, production and promotion of plants and gardens through lecturing to garden clubs, horticultural societies, and master gardener groups, teaching at George Brown College, hosting a community access garden tv show and co-hosting “Let’s Get Growing” a live call-in radio show. Currently, he is hosting a regular live gardening series on Facebook and Youtube. He also inspires avid gardeners by hosting garden tours to UK and European gardens. This is Jeff's third presentation to our society.



All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged

Hellebores go a long way toward shortening the winters of avid gardeners and providing year-round appeal! Marion will cover all aspects of growing Hellebores in this very thorough and informative talk. This spring beauty will start your gardening year off with flowers as early as February, and will offer a dramatic framework for your early spring bulbs. Although almost always touted at nurseries as a plant for early spring, this very long bloomer with gorgeous foliage offers a foil for other plants in summer and fall as well. Hellebores, with their remarkable range of flower colours and foliage, are intriguing show stoppers--tough beauties that take on spring frosts and winter chill with aplomb, and blend readily with almost any garden plant, especially ones that enjoy some shade.

Marion Jarvie is a passionate plantswoman who has been gardening in Thornhill for more than forty years. Several weekends annually, she opens her beautiful garden to the public to showcase plants in spring, summer and autumn. An enthusiastic educator, Marion teaches courses on gardening subjects at the Toronto Botanical Garden, and she has lectured all over North America and the United Kingdom. For more information about Marion, including the dates that her garden will be open in 2024, visit www.MarionJarvie.ca. This is Marion's thirteenth presentation to our society since her first in 1978.



All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged 
• In-person attendees will be able to visit Flower Show entries

In the plant world, mosses are “strong, sensitive” types. They cover enormous areas, and are tough enough to grow without soil or roots, or to survive long droughts and winters (heck, even glaciation!). They’re also individually tiny, and delicate enough to signal early warnings of environmental change. In the urban and natural spaces we know and love, mosses make themselves at home on soil, wood, rock and a huge array of human-made stand-ins. They do this whether or not we notice them or invite them. Demystifying mosses can help gardeners with questions such as:
- How can I tell if something is a moss, or if it's a lichen or something else?
- How do the needs and ways of mosses differ from those of other plants?
- What main types of moss grow in my plant pots, yard or region?
- Are they a problem?

Please bring your questions, and come face-to-face with some of the most fascinating plants on the planet.

Jennifer Doubt, originally from Deep River, Ontario, is a botanist with the Canadian Museum of Nature. Along with the other fun, dedicated staff, students and volunteers that make up the Canadian Museum of Nature Botany team, she cares for a busy, growing archive of over one million preserved plants and lichens, and shares the collection far and wide for research and education. Every botanist obsesses more about some plants than others, and for Jennifer it’s all about the bryophytes, which she has documented and studied in the wild for over 25 years so far. And still, there is so much to learn!



All general meetings begin with a welcome and general announcements, which precede introduction of the guest speaker. 



Members: Instructions for participation in this virtual and in-person event will be emailed to members twice - once on the Friday prior to the meeting, and again on Monday. Instructions are also available by logging into our site and checking the "members-only" version of this event. 

Visitors: Guests are welcome to participate in this virtual and in-person event at a nominal fee of $5.00 Instructions for participation will be emailed to non-society members who complete the registration process prior to the event start time.

About In-Person Attendance at the McConaghy Centre: 

• Doors to the auditorium open at 7 pm 
• The meeting begins promptly at 7:30 pm
• Please bring a mug or cup if you would like hot coffee or tea
• All attendees are encouraged to register online for inclusion in door prize draws
• Masks are not required, but are encouraged