Get ready to dig into some festive fun! Join Angela Firman, owner of Wild Roots Floral and Garden, for a creative demonstration on turning fresh everygreens, berries and branches into beautiful wreaths, porch pots, and winter dispalys that celebrate the magic of the season.

Ross Laing will review 10 common photography mistakes and offer 20 simple techniques to significantly improve the quality of your images. Throughout the presentation there will be many examples from gardens and landscapes to illustrate and emphasize the effectiveness of “making’ photographs instead of merely “taking’ photographs.

We are delighted to be invited to Renee’s garden to explore the beautiful borders and participate in a Flower Arranging Contest. Please bring your own containers, glovces and scissors. Following the competition, we will gather in the garden for a picnic lunch.

In this presentation you will learn how to create an attractive living space full of vegetables, ornamentals, herbs and greens to enhance your table and thrill your guests. Find out about vertical gardening, best practices, found objects and more.

Cindy will be discussing the various aspects of successful container gardening. She will cover topics such as soil requirements, fertilizer, plants, environmental conditions and types of containers.

Cindy is the owner of Beyond the House Garden Centre in Russell, ON, where you can always find something a little different.

Elizabeth will discuss the vital role of pollinators in our ecosystem, and the part played by native plants in this relationship. She will also describe the Butterflyway project, a citizen-based movement growing highways of habitat for bees and butterflies across Canada.

Tom will talk to us about his work as Head Gardener of these historic gardens. The gardens were created by William Robinson in 1885 and are now considered among the most important in England. Tom is one of the most respected gardeners working in Britain today. His first job was as Assistant Head Gardener at a property owned by Sir Paul McCartney. He then became Fergus Garrett’s deputy at the famed Great Dixter garden in Sussex before taking over at Gravetye Manor in 2010.

In January 2024, Mary Ann spent three weeks touring gardens in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Her talk Zealand plants. will show the different styles of gardens she visited — from formal to English cottage gardens and those featuring native New Zealand plants.

Following her talk we will enjoy our annual luncheon and the ever popular “Bring and Buy”.

We are delighted to welcome the talented Elizabeth Young of Flowers Talk Tivoli, who will give us inspiration for decorating our homes for the festive season. Elizabeth will show us how to create three different arrangements: one for outdoors at the entrance of a home; a long lasting centrepiece; and a garland or wreath.

“Wildscaping” is gaining more and more traction around the world as residential gardeners shift their priorities to a more naturalistic approach. Jon Master Gardener Lee Ann Smith for a talk that introduces this new approach to garden design, explains how this type of garden is implemented, and offers some real-life examples of wildscapes large and small.

Come and imagine yourself basking in the warm Italian sunshine as we explore the beautiful garden of Villa San Michele on the Island of Capri. The garden recently received a prestigious award as Italy’s most beautiful garden. Kristina has been Director and CEO of Villa San Michele since 2020.

Kathleen is the Supervisor of Horticulture Services for the NCC’s official residences here in Ottawa. She will speak to us about the evolution of all the gardens, as well as the care of the greenhouses at the Governor General’s residence.

Our speakers, Manja Bastian and daughter Alanna Groen-Brunsting, are co-owners of Green Corners Farm, Ottawa’s largest “U-Pick” tulip and flower farm. Together they will show us how to enjoy growing tulips in the cold of winter by forcing them indoors. They will also share some behind-the-scenes photos of their flower farm enterprise.

Join us as we journey into the fascinating world of wildflowers with Michael Runtz, a professor of Natural History and Ornithology at Carleton University. He will talk to us about the complex lives of wildflowers, their defence mechanisms, reproductive methods and how they solve environmental issues such as soil nutrient deficiency.

Candace Dressier will discuss plants that are native to different parts of the world and will give examples of the various biomes of the planet, as well as the eco-regions and districts in North America. She will tell us how to use plant nomenclature and plant tags to help determine if a plant is native to the Ottawa region. Finally, she will tell us about her favourite native plants that have brought more birs to her garden and have reduced garden maintenance.

Renee-Claude Goulet, a Science Advisor at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, will talk to us about growing planst from seed, discuss the importance of soil health for food production, and provide science-based tips to get the spring garden off to a good start from the ground up.

Joan Harvey, Johanna Cutts, and Mary Ash are retired teachers and members of the Monarch Teacher Network-Ottawa. Their presentation will be wide-ranging, covering everything from the Monarch’s delicate life cycle, its fascinating 4,500 km migration to Mexico, to how to create an attractive pollinator garden. Planting suitable host and nectar plants and becoming informed will ensure the Monarch butterfly thrives. Come with your questions and learn about this captivating insect.

Lynette Deir Mullen, owner of Stoneblossom Floral Gallery, will launch us into the holiday season with wreaths, table arrangements, door decorations and outdoor pots. It will be part presentation and part demonstration. It will be creative and it will be fun!

We are delighted that Patterson (Pat) Webster will give a brief presentation of her new book about creating Glen Villa, a wonderful garden in Eastern Townships that the OGC visited in 2017. The book will be available at the meeting for buying and signing, thanks to Books on Beechwood.

Ornamental grasses offer a wide range of landscaping solutions. Like shrubs, they add structure to a garden, provide movement and attract birds. Cindy will talk to us about a wide range of grasses, their growing conditions and provide us with maintenance tips.

Cindy is the owner of Beyond the House (www.beyondthehouse.ca) a full-service garden centre and landscape company located in Russell, Ontario, tat specializes in rare and unique plants.

In April, Laura Langford described how Roam Flora, an off-grid flower farm in Carp, evolved from a small garden in her back yard to a two-acre fully sustainable farm west of Ottawa. And in September we will have an opportunity to tour the farm guided by Laura. Space is limited. Please contact Karen Kunke for more information kjunke@rogers.com.