What’s Up: Gardening events around British Columbia

Credit: RVWithTito

What’s Up: Gardening_Events_Around_British_Columbia

MARCH 2012

March 31 – Cobble Hill
Heather Sale at the Cobble Hill Farmer’s Institute Hall. Browse a great selection of winter and summer blooming heaths, heathers with coloured foliage or spring tips, irish and tree heaths and starter kits. 10 a.m. to noon (or until sold out). Contact: Elaine at 250-743-0965.

March 31 – Surrey   
Vegetable 101: Seed Starting with Sharon Hanna, author & GardenWise Magazine contributor. Sharon helps you choose excellent varieties for our climate and walks you through the basics of starting from seed. The rewards are tasty and ultra fresh additions to your meals! 11 a.m. at West Coast Gardens. 604-541-1117.

APRIL 2012

April 7 – VancouverThe Alpine Garden Club of B.C.’s Show and Sale. View flowering and foliage plants in dozens of alpine, native, and exotic categories. Judged show includes critiqued examples of bonsai. Purchase unique plants for garden, rockery, woodland, or patio from local growers and small B.C. specialty nurseries. (Sorry, no credit cards.) Master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.  1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Floral Hall and Cedar Room at VanDusen Garden, 37th and Oak St.  Free admission – enter from the parking lot. Contact: 604-732-9206.

April 7 – Surrey
Easter Scavenger Hunt at West Coast Gardens. Back by popular demand, for kids, grown-ups, and serious gardeners—there’s even a special clues list for you. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 604-541-1117.

April 12 – Qualicum Beach
Demonstrations on armatures and structures to enhance floral designs with the Mid Island Floral Art Club. All welcome. Guest fee $5. St. Stephens Church Hall, 150 Village Way, Qualicum Beach at 2 p.m. Contact: 250-752-8525 or 250-752-2179 or visit www.mifac.org

April 13 – Nanoose Bay
Nanoose Garden Club Meeting, featuring our members’ Spring Display. Followed by a presentation by Master Gardener Leigh Winter on “Gardening Successfully with Deer.” Guests welcome. 1:15 p.m. at the Nanoose Library Centre. Contact: Pam McCready at 250-468-9184 or pammccready@shaw.ca

April 13 – 15 – Nanaimo
The Central Vancouver Island’s annual Orchid Show and Sale at the Country Club Centre,  during regular mall hours. Enjoy numerous displays of many species and hybrid orchids of all sizes, colours and fragrances. Club members will be available for information. Free admission. Contact Sue at 250-246-3447 or www.cvios.com.

April 13 – 15 – Abbotsford
“Gourmet in the Garden” at the 84th annual Bradner Flower Show and Plant Sale. Browse hundreds of varieties of daffodils grown by local bulb growers and a large number of floral arrangements. Locally grown flowers, bedding plants, perennials, shrubs and trees are all on sale, with part of the proceeds being donated to the Abbotsford Hospital Society. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $2 admission. www.bradnerflowershow.com

April 14 – Surrey
Drought Tolerant Gardens with Ewan MacKenzie of Exemplar Horticulture. He will share his extensive knowledge of drought tolerant flowering plants, perennial grasses and ecological landscape design to create a water smart garden. 11 a.m. at West Coast Gardens. 604-541-1117.

April 21 – Sechelt
The Informed Gardener. Plant Survival with Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott from Washington. She’ll speak about “How Plants Survive in Urban Environments” and “Myth Debunking.” Tickets for the full-day event are $25. Purchase tickets online. 11 a.m. at the Sparling Pavilion, Botanical Garden, 5941 Mason Road.

April 21 – Qualicum Beach
Mount Arrowsmith Rhododendron Society presents its Rhodo Show & Sale at the Parksville Curling Club (Hwy 19A and Corfield), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy lots of vendors selling rhodos, new and old favourites, companion plants, perennials and much more. Free admission. Contact: Marilyn at 250-752-3694 or dawsom@shaw.ca or www.mars.rhodos.ca

April 21 – Qualicum Beach
Eaglecrest Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale, featuring roses, shrubs, herbs, perennials, pottery and more! 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 531 Yambury Road, Qualicum Beach. Contact: Nicola at 752-5315.

April 21 – Surrey
Create a Living Wall Workshop with Jean Kuwabara. A living wall, like the huge one you may have seen displayed at the White Rock Library, is a unique way of creating a vertical work of art for your garden. An all-in-one framework makes it simple to combine perennials and annuals into a stunning feature. All materials and plants provided. Cost $75. 11 a.m. at West Coast Gardens. 604-541-1117.

April 21 – 22 – Vancouver Island
Milner Gardens Annual Spring Plant Sale. Revive your garden with a large selection of plants propagated from Milner’s heritage garden. Master gardeners will answer plant questions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Tea Room will be open, serving soup, scones and tea. The members-only early plant sale access is on Friday April 20 from 5  p.m. to 7 p.m. Membership cards are required. Contact: 250-752-6153, www.viu.ca/milnergardens/

April 28 – North Vancouver
The 14th annual Friends of the Garden plant sale at Park and Tilford Gardens, 333 Brooksbank Avenue. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rain or shine, cash only. Our well-informed volunteers will tempt you with interesting and unusual plants that thrive in our climate. Master Gardeners will be available to answer all your gardening questions. Funds raised go towards enhancing our gardens – a wonderful community amenity. Contact Jocelyn at 604-988-6127.

April 28 – Surrey
Colour Combos for Containers with Jean Kuwabara. Using live examples of colour combos that work and ones that don’t work, Jean will give straightforward information on this often mysterious topic for gardeners. 11 a.m. at West Coast Gardens. 604-541-1117.

April 28 – Victoria
The Victoria Dahlia Society 2012 Plant & Tuber Sale. Held at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 2964 Richmond Rd. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: www.victoriadahliasociety.org

April 28 – Langford
The Victoria Dahlia Society 2012 Plant & Tuber Sale. Held at the Westshore Town Centre. Contact: www.victoriadahliasociety.org

MAY 2012

May 4 – Nanoose Bay
“Edible Landscapes” with Priscilla Brewer. The award-winning landscaper and horticultural technician will talk about how to integrate vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers into your landscape. 1:15 p.m. at the Nanoose Library Centre. Guests welcome. Contact: Pam McCready 250-468-9184 or pammccready@shaw.ca

May 6 – New Westminster
The New Westminster Horticultural Society’s Super Plant Sale. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the Armoury at Queen’s Ave. & 6th St.

May 6 – Comox
North Island Rhododendron Society (NIRS) Annual Plant Sale. A wide selection of rhodos locally grown will be available with many varieties not available at retail nurseries. There will also be a large selection of companion plants from the gardens of NIRS members. Admission is free along with a free draw for a rhododendron for everyone attending. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the K’omoks First Nation Band Hall. Contact: Nadine at 250-339-0909.

May 12 – Ladner
The Ladner Community Garden Society’s Plant Sale. Shop vegetables, herbs and specialty perennials – perfect for Mother’s Day gifts. 9 a.m. to noon at the Ladner Community Gardens. 6467 Holly Park Dr., Ladner. Information at www.ladnercommunitygarden.blogspot.com 

May 12 – South Surrey
South Surrey Garden Club Annual Plant Sale at St. Mark’s Anglican Church. View a wide variety of plants at great prices, plus used tools, and fantastic Mother’s Day gifts. Experts will be mingling and able to answer questions. 9:00am – 12:00 pm, Saturday, May 12th St. Mark’s Anglican Church 12953 20 Ave., Surrey. Contact: Debbie Mellenger 604.535.1559

May 12 – Vancouver
“A Growing Affair & Plant Sale” at the UBC Botanical Garden. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: 604-822-4529 or www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/events.

May 12-13 – Victoria
Mother’s Day Garden Tour! This is the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s biggest fundraising event of the year. The year’s tour features ten of Victoria’s most impressive private gardens ranging from exotic to native, new to established, country to urban. Visitors can look forward to performances by our talented students and faculty. Tickets are $30 for a two-day pass. All proceeds are donated to the VCM. Gardens open between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Susan Postma, 250-386-5311, ext. 2250, www.vcm.bc.ca

May 13 – Comox
North Island Rhododendron Society (NIRS) Annual Mother’s Day Garden Tour. This year’s annual event will centre on choice gardens, selected in a variety of sizes and styles in the southern section of the Comox Valley. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and include all the gardens and a draw for a free rhododendron. Tickets and directions to the gardens will be available the last week of April at numerous local outlets including Art Knapp’s Plantland in Courtenay. Contact: Nadine at 250-339-0909.

May 19 – Nanoose Bay
Nanoose Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale. Browse vegetables, heritage tomatoes and perennials from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and bring your friends and neighbours. Master Gardeners will be in attendance. Contact Loraine 250-468-9749

May 26-27 – Vancouver’s North Shore
Art in the Garden Tour. A self-directed tour that brings together visual artists, musicians and gardeners for a collaborative feast of the senses. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Contact: 604-988-6844 or info@nvartscouncil.ca or www.nvartscouncil.ca.

JUNE 2012

June 1 – Nanoose Bay
“Essentials of Summer Pruning” with Harry Sumner. The garden coach will talk about how to assess a plant’s overall health, decide what and when to prune, choose and maintain pruning equipment, among many other tips. 1:15 p.m. at the Nanoose Library Centre. Guests welcome. Contact: Pam McCready 250-468-9184 or pammccready@shaw.ca

June 3 – Sooke
Sooke Secret Garden Tour. This is the annual fundraiser for the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring hidden garden delights in the Sooke area. Delight in carefully crafted gardens from Sooke’s secret suburbs, fabulous gardens with remarkable ocean vistas and large acreages of old growth trees and native plants. Throughout the self-guided tour, there will be music, refreshments, plant sales and a specialized garden-themed boutique.  Contact and tickets: www.sookesecretgardens.com

June 5 – Chilliwack
Automatic Irrigation and Fertilization for Hanging Baskets with Marc Shane. Learn how to setup your automatic irrigation and feeding for your hanging baskets. Free. 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Little Mountain Greenhouses Garden Center & Florist.

June 17 – Chilliwack
Fathers’ Day Grill Master Cook Off at Little Mountain Greenhouses Garden Centre & Florist. Bring your dad down to the grill master cook where our local celebrity dads will be raising money for Prostate cancer. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sample their grill speciality whether it’s steak, chicken, salmon, pork. The event is sponsored by Fraser Valley Meats. Burgers, smokies and hot dogs will be by donation with all proceeds going to prostate cancer.

June 24 – Vancouver
The Vancouver Rose Society’s 62nd Annual Rose Show and Rose Care Clinic. Enjoy the sights and fragrances of hundreds of freshly cut, locally grown roses from 12:30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. An Exhibition Show will be judged by Canadian Rose Society standards. Experts will be on-hand to answer questions. At the close of the show, the roses will be sold at 50 cents a stem. Free admission at *VBG. Contact: Lesley at 604-261-6417.

JULY 2012

July 21-22 – Qualicum Beach
Milner Gardens Art & Photography in the Garden. Meet, mingle and be inspired by local artists at work, painting, sketching, carving and photographing the beauty of this Artist’s Garden. Bonsai artists, potters, and live music. Artwork silent auction in support of the Gardens. Hand stamp allows re-entry. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact: 250-752-6153 or www.milnergardens.org