SPEAKERS
We aim to have interesting speakers on a variety of garden related topics.
FIELD TRIPS
We like to go on field trips to gardens both on and off the island. There is an extra cost for these trips if they are off island.
COMMUNITY
We use some of our funds, time and effort to give back to the Mayne Island Community.
NEXT EVENT –
As yet 2021 events have not been scheduled, however, see February 2021 below for the possible Seedy Saturday events. Visit the updated Gallery Page for pictures members sent in of their lovely Christmas Wreath creations
Mayne Island Garden Club Events 2021 – What We Hope
January 2021 – No meeting
February 2021 – Possible Seedy Saturday Events – check back regularly for updates
The Ag Society would like to report that they are in the process of planning Seedy Saturday events – they will be doing something virtually on a province wide program (in conjunction with Farm Folk:City Folk) from February 19 to 21, and would like Mayne Islanders and the garden club to participate. They are not yet entirely sure what it will look like but do know that Kristine Webber will be hosting a Zoom breakout room to launch this year’s Mayne Island Seed Library program. The programs will be in chunks over the weekend – likely a seed related film Friday afternoon, some form of speakers and Q&A on Saturday and the local Seed Library on Sunday morning. There is a chance of a live seed exchange in the afternoon (Covid progress dependant). Anyone can use Zoom; it is free and easy to use. No software needs to be purchased. Some of the seminars presented on line could possibly have a small charge or there could be an overall $5 registration fee for the entire event which would cover the cost of honourariums for speakers.
Please check for information in February on Facebook and there will be some form of announcement on the MayneNews; as well any updates will be reported here.
Mayne Island does have a Seed Library where people can borrow seeds of a number of different vegetable and flower species. They will be expected to grow out the seeds, allow one or two of the plants to go to seed and then return the cleaned seed to the library in the fall or winter so more people can have access to those seeds in the future. This is one very reasonable way for gardeners to acquire seed that will grow well on this island at next to no cost and increase the island’s food security.
The Ag Society is also looking into whether or not they could do something live in conjunction with the museum. Here is where they may be able to include the opportunity for islanders to exchange seed that they have collected. Please note that there is a definite distinction between a Seed Library and a Seed Exchange (share with no need to return the seeds).
March 2021 and beyond – Yet To Be Determined due to the uncertainty Covid regulations bring
Mayne Island Garden Club Events 2020 – What Had Been Planned
January 2020 – No meeting
February 15, 2020 (Saturday) – Participation in “Seedy Saturday” 11:00-3:30pm at Ag Hall.
For more info see https://www.facebook.com/events/880534599028142/
April 30, 2020 (Thursday) – To Squish or Not to Squish – ***CANCELLED***
Speaker Ingrid Hoff, from the UBC garden, will present an informative and fun talk on the good, the bad, and the ugly bugs. Come learn about useful insects in the garden, as well as those that may do harm.
May 21, 2020 – (Thursday) – Victoria Gardens Tour! – ***CANCELLED***
Oh the beauty of spring gardens! The garden club will car pool to take members on a tour of three beautiful Victoria gardens: Kittiwake – a jewel of a private garden; the showy Abkhazi Garden; and to finish, the extensive gardens at Government House.
June 25, 2020 – (Thursday) – Mayne Island Gardens Tour! – ***CANCELLED***
A treat in store for our members – a tour of three outstanding Mayne Island gardens! Our gracious hosts include Robyn Yeldon and Ellen Visser, Nancy Wells, and Brian Crumblehume.
July 23, 2020 – Herbal Gardens and Summer Potluck ***CANCELLED***
Our guest speaker, Ana Dushyna, from Ana’s Apothecary, will give a fascinating presentation on creating an herbal garden for kitchen and medicinal purposes, with a tasting of fresh herbal teas!
As well, research your best recipes, as our infamous Mayne Island summer Pot Luck Luncheon will ensue.
October 15, 2020 – (Thursday) – Pruning Trees and Shrubs ***CANCELLED***
Sharpen up those snippers! Gordon Mackay of the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific will give the presentation “Pruning Trees and Shrubs: When, Where, and Why?!” There will be a few myth busters and a good grounding on the concepts involved, along with some do’s and don’ts.
November 25 and 26, 2020 – (Thursday) Christmas Wreath Making Workshop at the Ag Hall IS CANCELLED
With the latest announcement from Dr. Henry, we have decided that the safest course of action is to cancel our Wreath Making Workshops that were scheduled for this week.
Wreath frames and greenery were sold to registered participants who still wished to make a wreath at home. See Gallery Page for some Christmas cheer!
For those of you not all that experienced at making wreaths, here is a link to a great set of instructions:
How to Make a Fresh Greenery Wreath
Mayne Island Garden Club Events 2019
January 2019 – No meeting
February 16, 2019 (Saturday) – Participation in “Seedy Saturday” 12:00-3:30pm at Ag Hall.
April 11, 2019 – (Thursday) – Butchart Gardens Tour
A sight for ‘winter weary eyes’. The garden club will car pool to take a tour of the beautiful spring blooms at the Butchart Gardens in Victoria. Tour the gardens at your own speed and whim, but we’ll meet at The Blue Poppy at 11:45 a.m. for lunch together and to compare ‘floral notes’.
May 9, 2019 – (Thursday) – Christina’s Garden Tour
A tour of Christina’s Garden is always a treat! An added bonus on this visit, Christina will give a presentation on ‘Planning Ahead’. She will give us food for thought on the whole process of planning our gardens from menu to harvest. Christina’s Garden is located at 340 East West Road. There is some limited car parking at the bottom of the driveway, although parking on the road is recommended. The presentation will start at 1:30 p.m., a Q & A session and tour will follow. Garden Club memberships will be available at the event.
June 1, 2019 – Saturday Farmers Market – MI Garden Club Hanging Basket Fundraiser
Our Garden Club members have created some beautiful moss hanging baskets! We will be selling them on June 1st at the Farmers’ Market for $40 each. What a deal!
These baskets are full of lovely, colourful, healthy plants and we even have a few pure white-themed baskets for anyone interested (white shows up so beautifully in areas that are a bit shady). These stunning baskets will sell quickly so pop by early for the best selection.
Check out the gallery page for photos of the volunteers preparing the flower baskets in April.
June 20, 2019 – (Thursday) – Three Garden Tour on Mayne Island
Garden Club members have a big treat in store this summer – a tour of three outstanding gardens! Trish Hoff, Colleen Proctor and Mirjam Moore have graciously agreed to show their wonderful gardens.
July 18, 2019 – (Thursday) – Mini-Garden Tour and Summer Potluck Lunch
“Little Jewels” is the theme of a special brief mini-tour of little garden gems. Fifteen minute glimpses of the gardens of Libbie Blake, Elisabeth Whitelaw and Nancy de Pfyffer, will be followed by a Pot Luck Picnic Lunch at the Japanese Gardens.
September 19, 2019 – (Thursday) -!CANCELLED! Brad Jalbert – Easy Care Roses !CANCELLED!
Unfortunately our scheduled speaker, Brad Jalbert of Select Roses, had to cancel at the last minute. As we were unable to find another speaker at short notice, the September meeting has sadly been cancelled. Our sincere apologies for this turn of events.
November 28, 2019 – (Thursday) – Christmas Wreaths and Pot Luck Luncheon
Our genial Robyn Yeldon will lead our garden club members in a green wreath-making workshop for the holidays. There will be a $5 fee to cover the cost of the wire frame, bows, etc. Also on the menu is our annual (and most delicious) Christmas Pot Luck Lunch.
Mayne Island Garden Club Events 2018
January 2018 – No meeting
February 10, 2018 (Saturday) – Participation in “Seedy Saturday” 12:30-4:00pm at Ag Hall
March 15, 2018 – (Thursday) – Kristin Crouch – Crazy for Tomatoes – 1:30 pm at Ag Hall
As the days warm up, it’s time to think about summer salads and fresh garden tomatoes. Learn about new tomato varieties, potting up, care of your new plants and saving seed from master gardener Kristin Crouch. Kristen as been growing heirloom tomatoes for a seek bank for five years.
April 12, 2018 – (Thursday) – Gary Lewis of Phoenix Perennials presents “Hot New Plants” – 1:30 at Ag Hall
Phoenix Perennials is among the first nurseries in Canada to offer new cultivars developed by the best international breeders. Gary will give you the inside track on recent new cutting edge garden plants and talk about where plant breeding is heading in the future. If you love new plants, you won’t want to miss this talk. Gary will be bringing along some of these hot new plants for sale!
FYI – Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society Spring Show 2018
Although this will not be a planned Mayne Island Garden Club tour, we can highly recommend you take in the much anticipated VIRAGS show and plant sale on April 20-21, 2018. It will be held at the Cadboro Bay United Church, 2625 Arbutus Road, Victoria. Go to the VIRAGS.com website for complete details.
May 27, 2018 (Sunday) – Hypertufa Planter Workshop – 1-4 pm Home Hardware (adjacent to Garden Centre)
Judy Lashley of the Lynn Valley Garden Club will lead us through creating attractive pots and small planters. Hypertufa refers to a technique of mixing cement, peat moss, and perlite to create rustic, textured planters that look like natural volcanic rock. The workshop will be held at Home Hardware, who have kindly agreed to provide us space, tables and equipment for the workshop.
There will be a minimum of 6, maximum of 18 participants for this workshop. Cost for materials is $5.00 for members, $10. for non-members. For further details contact Lynda Smyth at lmsmyth@shaw.ca Registration will be required, starting May 1st.
June 9, 2018 (Saturday) – Farmer’s Market at Ag Hall – 10 am to ~1 pm Hanging Basket Fundraiser
Hope you can pop over to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday June 9th to peruse and hopefully buy one of our beautiful hanging baskets! Lovingly crafted by our own Club members, there are 14 inch and 16 inch as well as a few assorted containers of gorgeous plants that will make a splash on any deck or beside any door. Buy for yourself or as a unique gift for someone (maybe as a Father’s Day present?). The 14 inch baskets are selling for a minimum of $35 and the 16 inch for a minimum of $45.
June 21, 2018 (Thursday) – Market Garden Tours – 1:15 to 3:30 p.m., approximately
Two wonderful farm gardens to tour, and both our hosts are open to your questions on growing supreme vegetables! Meet at 1:15 p.m. at master gardener Linda Beer’s farm, 540 Fernhill (outside the barn), for a guided tour of Linda’s market garden operation. We will pause for a brief “tailgate tea break”, before heading to Hardscrabble Farm for a tour hosted by Amber Albrecht. We will allow approximately one hour per visit. If possible, we’re suggesting carpooling with friends, to keep the number of cars to a minimum. Open to members and guests … no charge.
July 12, 2018 (Thursday) – Summer Garden Club Pot Luck Luncheon – 12-3 p.m. at Ag Hall
Bring your favourite dish to share, and we will dine ‘al fresco’ on the patio of the Ag Hall. Garden Club Chair, Julie Schueck, will give an informative presentation on “What the Judges Look For” when it comes to prize veggies and flowers. Just in time to prepare for the Mayne Island Fall Fair!
August 2018 – No Meeting
September 20, 2018 (Thursday) – Field Trip to Victoria’s Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, with stop at Russell’s Nursery
Grab your sunhat for an autumn treat in Victoria that has been planned for garden club members. Car pooling, we’ll head out on the early morning ferry to Swartz Bay, and visit the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific. We’ll visit these lovely gardens from 9 – 11:30 a.m., and have a bite of lunch at their little cafe, Charlotte & the Quail. Afterwards our group will carry on to Russell Nursery on Wain Road near Swartz Bay, where we’ll have time to browse their terrific Fall Sale for some great bargains, and to have a short presentation on fall gardening from owner, Laurel Rassenti. The day wraps up with a leisurely ferry ride home to Mayne Island in time for dinner.
October 11, 2018 – Bob and Verna Duncan – Citrus and Tropical Fruit Trees- 1:30 at Ag Hall – please note this is second Thursday this month, not the usual third Thursday
We are pleased to have Bob Duncan of Fruit Trees and More Nursery & Demonstration Orchard in North Saanich give a presentation to the Mayne Island Garden Club on Growing Citrus and Sub-tropical Fruit Trees in South Coastal B.C. Who knew?! Who knew we could grow lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, kumquats, yuzu, sudachi, avocado, pineapple guava, pomegranates and loquats on Mayne Island! He will cover the selection, planting, care, harvesting of fruit, pruning, and wintering of these exotic trees.
Bob and his wife, Verna, will bring along a small variety of trees for sale, as well as homemade marmalade.
November 15, 2018 – Garden Club Christmas Potluck Luncheon with Guest Speaker Mark Dickerson of Garden Coach Solutions – 12:00 at Ag Hall
Our wrap up for the year will be the traditional scrumptious Christmas potluck to be held at noon at the Ag Hall. Our special guest will be Mark Dickerson of Garden Coach Solutions in Victoria. He will demonstrate how to create attractive seasonal outdoor planters that can be transformed for the festive season and later for spring. You’ll head home inspired to spruce up your doorway for the winter!
Mark develops and grows succulent plants as well, and he will have an assortment available for purchase at the meeting.
Mayne Island Garden Club Events 2017
January 2017 – No meeting
February 11, 2017 (Saturday) – Participation in “Seedy Saturday” 12:30-4:00pm at Ag Hall
March 20, 2017 (Monday) – Brian Crumblehulme, Presentation on Growing Herbs – 1:30pm at Ag Hall
Brian Crumblehulme is an energetic gardener who moved to Mayne Island in 1978, starting the first commercial herb garden in the Gulf Islands. His vast horticultural experience and entertaining style finds him in great demand for presentations and newspaper articles.
April 2017 – April 21 – 23 (Fri, Sat, Sun) – Participation in The Active Pass Festival
May 15, 2017 (Monday) – Kristin Crouch – Create a Year Round Successful Kitchen Garden – 1:30 pm at Firehall Meeting Room; please note change of venue!
Kristin Crouch is a passionate 25 year master gardener, active in promoting community gardens and garden education. She currently blogs on her website ThatBloominGarden.com , and writes for several newspapers and magazines.
June 19, 2017 (Monday) – Field Trip to Vancouver! We will be privileged to tour the personal garden of Claude LeDoux, considered “an urban sanctuary in New Westminster” by B.C. Living Magazine. Claude, Parks Horticulture Manager, New Westminster, will then give us a guided tour of landscaping development sites in Glen Brook Ravine and Queen’s Park. After a tailgate picnic lunch, we will head to prestigious Select Roses Nursery. Owner Brad Jalbert will give a special presentation on roses, after which we will be able to browse and make purchases. We catch the evening ferry back to Mayne. Car pool arrangements will be organized for the day trip. Further information to be posted at a later date. Please respond to Julie ASAP!
July 17, 2017 (Monday) – Garden Club Al Fresco Luncheon at Robyn and Ellen’s place (756 Kippen). Eleanor and Allan Evans have kindly agreed to a tour of their beautiful garden prior to the luncheon. Garden Club members are invited to come to their place at 721 Wilks at about 11 am, then depart just before noon to carry on to the luncheon. Stay tuned for more information.
August 2017 – No meeting
September 18, 2017 (Monday) – Linda Beer – The Garden in Autumn – 1:30pm at the Firehall – note change of venue
There is a cornucopia of pleasant tasks to keep a gardener occupied throughout the fall. Linda Beer will be sharing information on what she is harvesting, and what she does to ensure her garden is prepared for winter. Enjoy and informative mini seminar on seed saving, sowing garlic, lazy winter greens, early spring sowing and preserving the harvest.
Linda Beer is a well known Mayne Island Organic Master Gardener, and provides very entertaining and knowledgeable presentations on various garden topics.
October 16, 2017 (Monday) – John Eckfeldt – Micro-Irrigation Systems – 1:30 at the CHURCH HOUSE on GEORGINA POINT ROAD – Note New change of venue
Tired of watering by hand? Come find out about irrigation systems for your garden. John Eckfeldt of Pender Island will display and discuss irrigation equipment, drip versus spray, in gravity systems, or using pumps, how to lay it all out, setting up with control systems and timers…
November 20, 2017 (Monday) – Christmas Pot Luck Lunch at noon at Ag Hall, with guest speaker Paul Spriggs speaking at one
For the potluck, please bring along food to share, either for lunch or dessert (with serving utensil), and your own dishes and cutlery. You are welcome to attend if you are not a member, please also bring a dish for potluck (if arriving for lunch and not only the speaker) and consider making a donation at the door or signing up for 2018. We will be accepting membership payment for 2018 at this meeting.
Paul Spriggs is an avid rock gardener, plant explorer, photographer and mountaineer, owner of Spriggs Gardens Landscaping Company, and current VP of Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society. Paul specializes in a new style of rock gardening called Crevice Gardening, having learned from some of the European innovators of the style. He has a passion for all wild plants, especially those of dwarf stature. His talk will focus on the basics of rock and crevice gardening, with the hopes of converting some members from regular gardeners into rock gardeners!
December 2017 – No meeting
