Upcoming Events
Tool Sharpening
Visit us on Sunday, February 22nd between 10 am and 2 pm to have your garden tools (and kitchen knives!) sharpened by Franz from Wooly Buggers Sharpening. This is a mobile blade maintenance service which will be available for our customers in our parking lot. Pruning shear sharpening starts at $10 and may be paid directly to Franz on the day by cash or e-transfer.
FULL - Fruit Tree Propagation Workshop
This workshop is currently full. Contact us to join the waitlist.
Do you have a favourite apple tree you would like to propagate? An old variety in a relative’s yard? Join our fruit tree propagation workshop led by expert Barrie Agar! Barrie is the former Head Gardener from Royal Roads and is a local expert on heritage apples.
Barrie will give a demonstration of fruit tree grafting techniques. You will have the opportunity to practice creating your own apple tree grafts under her direction.
We provide five apple rootstocks and associated grafting materials. Please bring your own apple scion wood, or choose from those we have available. Please bring your own pruning shears and grafting knives, if you have them. If you do not have your own, we have a limited number to lend out.
There is a $35 +GST charge for this workshop. Registration in advance is required as space is limited to 15 people. Please contact us to register. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
Soil 101 Seminar
Join Tamara Dinter to learn all about how to build healthy soil in your garden. Topics covered will include soil texture, structure, nutrients, pH, organic matter, soil ecosystem, and tailoring garden plantings to your soil type. Tamara has an MSc. in Soil Science and can’t wait to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for healthy soils with you!
There is a $10 +GST charge for this seminar. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Please contact us to register. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
Basic Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstration
Join us for a demonstration of basic pruning of fruit trees, including apples, peaches, plums, pears and more. This demonstration will be led by Nat, our resident Red Seal Horticulturalist.
This demonstration is free of charge and no registration is required. It will take place outdoors so please dress warmly!
From Seed to Harvest: Making the most of your vegetable garden
The taste of home-grown produce is unbeatable but growing vegetables is also a great activity to reduce stress, spend more time outdoors, teach kids how our food is produced, reduce the grocery bill, and keep our food system more localized.
Join Monica, owner of Dockerty Gardens and avid vegetable gardener, for this hour-long seminar to learn how to maximize your space, time, and money in the home vegetable garden.
Topics covered: growing vegetables starts from seed, making the most of your space year-round using succession planting, fertility needs of vegetables, common pests and how to prevent them, and the best way to keep gardens weed free.
There is a $10 +GST charge for this seminar. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
Create a Spring Grapevine Wreath
Join us to create a fresh and fun grapevine wreath decorated for early spring. Beautify your front door, gate or fence, or give to a friend or family member! The wreath is decorated with bulbs, pansies and other seasonal gems designed to last for several weeks.
Please bring your own gloves and we supply the rest!
There is a $60 + GST charge for this seminar. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Contact us to register with credit card over the phone, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
Please note that this workshop includes planting half of a grapevine wreath, as shown in the photographed sample. Please note that the contents of the photographed sample are subject to change based on availability.
Gardening with Native Plants
Native plants are beneficial to include in our gardens because they increase biodiversity, provide habitat for wildlife, attract birds, butterflies and other pollinators, are adapted to local soil and weather conditions and are hardier and more disease resistant.
Join us for a 1.5 hour in-depth seminar on native plants with Bethany from The Garden Alchemist, where you will learn how gardening with our local native plants can give you a water-saving, low-maintenance garden full of beauty and supports our native pollinators all season long.
There is a $20 +GST charge for this seminar. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration. Please Contact Us to register.
Hands-on Bonsai Workshop
Join us for a unique beginner Bonsai workshop is tailored towards folks who are developing a passion for the ancient Japanese art. Guided by Phil, our local Bonsai expert, participants will choose a specimen from a selection of small conifers, plant it in a starter bonsai pot with bonsai growing media, and prune the conifer according to bonsai principles. Phil will also cover how to care for your creation once you take it home.
Registration in advance is required as space is limited. This workshop is $45 + GST, which includes a pre-bonsai conifer, plastic bonsai starter pot, bonsai growing media and fertilizer, along with hands on instruction. This event will take place in an outdoor area.
Tree Planting Demonstration
Join Nat, our resident Red Seal Horticulturalist, for a comprehensive demonstration on tree planting! Topics covered will include selecting the right tree for your garden space as well as a demo on hole digging, soil amending and planting techniques to best set your tree up for success. Planting techniques for both bare-root and potted trees will be covered.
This demonstration is free of charge and no registration is required. It will take place outdoors so please dress warmly!
Designing Gardens for Pollinators
During this workshop discover what all the buzz is about our pollinators! Learn about native pollinators, their importance to ecosystems and our food supply, and the issues they are facing.
Join us for a 2 hour in-depth seminar with Emony Nicholls to find out how these bees and butterflies and birds like to live and what they like to eat, as well as practical information on creating a garden in the southern Vancouver Island region that will be a pollinator paradise.
There is a $20 +GST charge for this seminar. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
Intro to Food Forests + Permaculture
Join Annie for this hour-long journey into the basics of using permaculture design principles to create your very own food forest. A food forest typically contains several levels of food-bearing and flowering plants, from ground covers to vines to shrubs to trees. Learning about food forest principles provides a great start to developing a productive and edible ecosystem right in your own backyard.
There is a $10 +GST charge for this seminar. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Please contact us to register. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
Create a fresh early Spring Globe
Create a fresh and beautiful hanging Spring globe that brings early spring colour to your home. Let your creativity shine in making seasonal decor unique to your style and taste. No experience necessary! Globe size is 14 inches across.
Please bring your own gloves and secateurs and we will supply the rest.
There is a $70 + GST charge for this workshop. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Contact us to register with credit card over the phone, or visit us to pay in person. Please note we require payment to confirm registration.
If you already own a 14 inch metal sphere, bring it with you! We will offer you this workshop at a discounted price of $45 + GST.
Natural Lawn Care
Would you like to learn the secrets for keeping your lawn lush and healthy all year long without chemicals and pesticides?
This free seminar is led by John Close, owner of Lush Eco Lawns & Gardens and a local expert in natural lawn care with over 17 years of hands-on experience. His highly practical approach and humours anecdotes will make for an entertaining morning!
This demonstration is free of charge and no registration is required. It will take place in an outdoor, covered area so please dress accordingly.
For Kids - Create a Spring Planter
Join Angela for a fun morning creating a Spring Planter! This hands-on workshop will give kids a chance to develop their green thumbs as they choose from a selection of spring bulbs and flowers to make their own unique planter. Planter size is 6 inches in diameter.
This workshop is aimed at kids aged 5 to 10. Kids must have parent or guardian with them. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. This workshop is $35 + GST, which includes the plants, pot, soil, a selection of woodland creatures for decoration.
Please ensure your kid brings their own gardening gloves. This event will take place in an outdoor area. Please Contact Us to register. Please note that the contents of the photographed sample are subject to change based on availability.
European Hand-tied Bouquet Workshop Series
Learn the art of creating a beautiful and balanced floral bouquet using the elegant and classic European Spiral Technique. This workshop is led by a European Master Certified Floral Designer and will cover prepping the stems, perfecting the spiral technique for a balanced form, and tying the bouquet.
We are offering four workshops in 2026. Taken together, you will have a course in tying European Hand Bouquets all year long! This includes and abundance of tips and tricks of floral design, from flower selection to keeping your bouquet looking fresh for longer!
Saturday, April 4th at 10 am - Create a fresh and stylish early Spring bouquet complete with tulips, flowering branches and other bright stems to bring spring indoors for your own enjoyment or wow your Easter guests!
Saturday, June 27th at 10 am - Create a lush summer bouquet using in-season blooms from our own cutting garden. This is the perfect time to learn this art form as your own garden is coming into flower and wedding season is beginning.
Saturday, October 10th at 10 am - Gather a Thanksgiving bouquet using the abundance of the season. Inspired by Autumn textures and colours from plants right in your own backyard.
Saturday, December 12th at 10 am - Bring the scent of the season indoors with evergreens, eucalyptus, Magnolia and other seasonal accents with fresh blooms to make your home extra cozy for the holidays.
There is a $65 + GST charge for each workshop which includes a selection of premium stems, tape and ribbon, as well as the use of shears during the workshop. Registration in advance is required as space is limited. Please contact us to register. Payment can be given by credit card over the phone at time of registration, or visit us to pay in person.
Bonus offer: Sign up now for all four workshops before April 3rd, 2026 for a discounted price of $240 + GST.