Feb. 14th, 7:30 p.m. Joe Cook: Choosing and maintaining your tools

Joe has a background in tool-room machining and worked throughout his career in many factories including 18 years as the Tool and Cutter Grinder Machinist for a large factory.  This allowed him to “sharpen” his skills.

Joe and his wife Hazel, with their daughter Amy, have operated a family owned business, Blossom Hill Nursery since 1994, specializing in delphinium elatum and peonies.  This has provided an “opportunity” for Joe to care for and sharpen numerous gardening tools. He enjoys collecting unique older tools and sometimes reworks them for specific jobs.  He willingly looks after all the “Joe jobs.”

Joe will bring a variety of tools and supplies to demonstrate the care, cleaning and sharpening of many of your garden tools.

Decorative: Bring your favourite hobby to share.

March 13^th7:30 p.m. Paul Heydon:  Wildflowers and Invasive Species

Paul Heydon is the founder of “Grow Wild:” a nursery which grows native plants both for gardens and ecological restoration. Paul graduated from the Forestry program at Sir Sanford Fleming College and also received a biology degree from Trent University. His childhood love and respect for nature has developed into a passion for native plant gardening and ecological restoration. Plants  at “Grow Wild” are grown from locally collected seeds to ensure high survival rates, if the species are planted in suitable habitats. Basically these plants are genetically adapted to the various climatic and soil conditions in our area. We only take a small percentage of the seed from the wild. We take seed from many plants within a population to ensure high genetic diversity. We also provide a number of services including: landscaping, garden design, ecological restorations, botanical inventories, forestry services, biological/ecological consultations, presentations and workshops. Grow Wild! is dedicated to increasing the public's awareness of the importance of preserving and restoring our natural ecosystems.

Seed Exchange

There will also be a seed exchange and sale at this March meeting. 
The Urban Tomato will be selling their heritage tomato seeds as well! Get ready for spring!

Seedy Sunday (a separate event) is being held March 11th in Peterborough. See poster at left or click Urban Tomato link for details.

Decorative:  Share a favourite gardening book. 

April 10^th7:30p.m. Vicki Taylor-Scott: Garden Focal Points and Garden Rooms

Vicki has her degree in Ornamental Horticulture (from the University of Guelph) and is a Certified Horticulturist and a Certified Landscape Designer – “she is just certifiable”.  She is a regular guest on television and radio programs, writes articles for newspapers and magazines and her speaking engagements (including Canada Blooms and The Peterborough Garden Show) take her across the province.

Vicki has recently moved to Guelph where she is currently writing her masters, earning her degree in landscape architecture and in her spare time, will be teaching at her old alma mater.

She developed and nurtured her garden club for over 300 children called S.L.U.G.S. (Special Little Uxbridge GardenerS). She happens to be the mother of the ‘best son in the world’ and wife…to a very understanding husband.

Enjoy and have fun with her presentation!

This will be a fundraising event. Admission is $5, by ticket.  Best to get your ticket from a board member or at The Avant-Garden Shop in advance as there are a limited number of seats.  Door prizes and refreshments are included. For tickets or information contact Dot at 705-652-0684 or Brenda @ 705-743-0068.

Decorative: “Easter Egg” – a small design in an egg cup (design must be between 5.5” and 10” in any direction)
 

Mini flower show
Our first mini-flower show for the year includes a wide variety of spring flowers, and is held at the May meeting.  Entries must be in place by members before 7:15pm.

May 8^th 7:30p.m. Leslie James: The edible landscape 

Leslie and her husband Barry own a large sheep farm south of the Ganaraska Hills.  Leslie has always been an avid organic gardener, but in the last few years has passionately pursued growing food crops, and in particular incorporating edibles into her beautiful landscape.

Decorative: "Happy Mothers’ Day” – a table centre design 
 

May 19th
Annual Plant Sale

8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Click here for details.

Sept. 11^th 7:30p.m. Peter Keeping: Clematis, Vines and Twiners

Peter first got interested in Clematis in 1982, after being given two as a birthday present.  He was so enthusiastic about them, that he joined the International Clematis Society and the British Clematis Society.  The following year, he was made a council member for the Int’l Clematis Soc. and asked to answer questions for Canadians growing Clematis.  That year, he went to the U.K. where he met with Raymond Evison and members of the two societies.  He then increased his number of Clematis to 150 by 1999.  All of these, he moved to his new home which is on ½ acre in Bowmanville, where he now has over 300+.  He imports rare Clematis from the EU, plus grows from seed and from cuttings.  He also started working with two different tissue culture type Clematis growers in Canada. He now has over 200 Clematis in tissue culture.

Peter and Sheila open up their garden to the public, by appointment, and have had many bus tours and private tours.

Another "mini-show" with dahlias, asters, lilies, zinnias, and roses. 

Decorative: “September Splendour” – a design

Oct 9^th 7:30p.m. Steven Charest:  Ponds and Lighting

Steven with his wife Anne Sanger, own “Steven’s Landscape” a business which specializes in pond construction and outdoor lighting installations. Tonight they'll share their knowledge through slides and discussion. They create some stunning landscapes with a twist!  Be sure to join them this evening.  Two years ago Steven and Ann did a wonderful job of renovating our Sundial bed at Cenotaph Park.

Our last "mini-show" for the year will include chrysanthemums, zinnias, everlastings and the last rose of summer.  

Decorative:  

Classes 1 – a collection of fall material, maximum 5 stems

Class 2 – Last rose of summer

Nov. 13^th7:30p.m. Victoria Whitney: Container gardening, transitioning to winter

Our speaker for the evening will be Victoria Whitney and she will dazzle us with ‘Christmas Décor.’ Vikki is member of the Peterborough Horticultural Society and is the General Manager of Griffin’s Greenhouses her family business. Griffin's is celebrating its 35th year of business and Vikki has been actively involved as Manager since 2002, but she grew up in the business and acquired most of her horticultural training during that journey. She is formally trained as a high school teacher. She enjoys leading the numerous seminars and workshops that Griffin's offers. When not digging in the dirt at the greenhouse and playing with pine at this time of year, Vikki’s sense of style with delightful (and useful) ideas is sure to start the season off right. So come and get into the Christmas spirit and get lots of ideas for your own Christmas decorating style.

Decorative: Where have all the Flowers Gone? – a foliage or dried plant material design

Dec. 11th, 6:30p.m.
Annual Christmas Party

Merry Christmas! We'll be having our annual Christmas party and potluck dinner. The Marshland Centre will be decorated for the Holidays and wafts of wonderful potluck items will fill the crisp winter air.  

Each month we enjoy tea, coffee and some delectable snacks provided by members.  A small donation is accepted and will be forwarded to

Lakefield's Youth Unlimited.  Each year YU uses the funds to help teach young people a bit about growing vegetables and herbs. They then use them to learn how to cook and also sell some of the produce at the Lakefield Farmers Market. Contact Chris at YU for more details.

No meeting in January 2013