Past Topics

2018 - 2019 Club Meetings
  • 26 September - Registration
    • Fall meet and greet, slideshow, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
      • Feel free to bring plant divisions or plant volunteers to swap
      • Bring a few garden pics on a thumb drive or send them to thepagc@gmail.com to share with the group
  • 24 October
    • Registration Continues and Special Guests!
      • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
        • Registration continues, social time and any special announcements.
      • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
        • Glen Wilson, Halifax Public Gardens presents Bulbs: Prep and Care for the Spring show.  Also Friends of the Public Gardens will talk about the Victorian Garden and its history.
    • 28 November
      • Holiday social potluck
        • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery.
        • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
        • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy our activities!
      • Activity
        • Decorative hanging baskets or wreaths.. 
          • Please bring with you the basket (with dirt) or a wreath of your choice, as well as snippers and any decorations you wish to include.  We will have some greenery on hand, but please bring some of your own if possible.  Berries are often in short supply – so if you can bring your own that would be appreciated as well.
    • 23 January
      • Edibles and Medicinals
        • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
          • Social time and any special announcements.
        • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
          • This is our member participation night! As we have done in January for a few years now, we will all share about our successes and challenges in our gardens.  This year the theme is edibles and medicines - or even edibles AS medicines!
          • Valerie will be providing some brief information on a few wonderfully medicinal plants that are easy to incorporate into any garden plan.  
          • To round out our discussion, it would be great if each person could come with a bit of information to share about one or two of your favourite garden edibles or medicines and how you incorporate them into your household.
    • 27 February
      • Special Guest: HRM Composting
        • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
          • Social time and any special announcements.
        • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
          • More details to follow
        • 27 March
            • Meeting - to be announced
              • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                • Social time and any special announcements.
              • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
                • To be announced
                  • 24 April
                      • Road Trip - We will be meeting in Hammonds Plains
                        • 7:00pm 
                          • Marion Munro, retired Curator of Botany with the Nova Scotia Museum, will return, sharing some food and recipes using native plants collected while foraging this past summer. We’re not sure about the menu, but she’s asked us to bring ice cream!
                          • 22 May
                            • Spring social potluck
                              • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery.
                              • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
                              • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy our activities!
                            • Activity
                              • Along with your favourite sharable treat, you are invited to (optionally!!!) bring a wrapped garden item for a light-hearted, garden-themed yankee gift exchange.  It can be a plant, seeds, books, tools, decor, whatever - but max $15 if it is not from your garden stash.  We'll draw names for an exchange.
                              • Discussing the plant sale and the plan for next season. 
                          • June (Saturday, sellers 8am, buyers 9am)
                            • PAGC Plant Sale, Location Prospect Road Elementary School
                              • Early drop-off location to follow!!
                          • June - August
                            • A reminder to take pictures for September's show and tell meeting!

                          2017-2018 Schedule
                          • 27 September - Registration
                            • Fall meet and greet, plant swap, slideshow, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                              • Feel free to bring plant divisions or plant volunteers to swap
                              • Bring a few garden pics on a thumb drive or send them to thepagc@gmail.com to share with the group
                          • 25 October
                            • Registration continues during a BBC presentation
                              • Monty Don is a well known expert gardener, gardening writer and UK broadcaster. He presents the show "Gardener's World" from his amazing garden "Long Meadow" in Hertfordshire, UK. The show is wide ranging garden design, problem solving and seasonal information for the average home gardener.  
                              • We hope you will join us for another informative evening!
                            • 22 November
                              • Holiday social potluck
                                • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery.
                                • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
                                • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy our activities!
                              • Centrepiece workshop
                                • Our very own Tara Moore is going to demonstrate how to make a seasonal centrepiece!
                                  • If you want to make a centrepiece to take home, here are a few things to bring:
                                    • a mug (can be plain or a Christmas theme)
                                    • wet oasis to fit your mug (that hard green florist stuff)
                                    • evergreen branches (or your favourite fillers)
                                    • pruners
                                  • Some other optional items you may wish to decorate with are ribbon, pine cones, berries, and a candle. 
                            • 24 January
                              • Welcome Donna Evers - Water Works!
                                • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                  • Social time and any special announcements.
                                • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
                                  • Special guest, Donna Evers presents Trees, shrubs and perennials for the moist, wet and down right boggy areas of your garden.
                                    • Donna Evers, a master gardener in Hammonds Plains, will be treating us to her wonderful presentation on gardening for wet spaces. Donna’s gardens are breathtaking and awe-inspiring, not only for their beauty but also for the amount of physical labour that they require.  Gardening and her love of plants and nature is truly a passion and her knowledge of all-things plants is broad.  
                                    • She has asked that everyone come prepared with a ‘general gardening question’ for us to discuss as time permits.
                                • Special thanks to Marcia Nason and Vicki Brown for arranging this month's program! 
                            • 28 February
                              • Welcome Back Cora Swinamer - Pruning!
                                • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                  • Social time and any special announcements.
                                • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
                                  • Special guest, Cora Swinamer presents Pruning – An Essential Gardening Skill 
                                    • Cora Swinamer, owner of Under the Arbor Landscape Design, has been gardening and doing landscape design for over 20 years and will give a presentation on pruning basics and how to tackle pruning challenges. Learn what plants to prune while dormant and those to do later in the season. 
                                    • If you have some pruning challenges or ‘gaffs’, bring your photos on a jump drive and get advice on how to tackle these as well.
                                    • Join the hands-on practice session afterwords! 
                                      • Bring along your sharpened pruning shears and a branch or two to practice your technique.
                              • 28 March -  Special Location: Hammonds Plains 
                                  • Guest Speaker: Marian Munroe - Tending the Garden We're Given
                                    • 7:00pm - 8:00pm
                                      • Marian Munroe, Curator of Botany with the NS Natural History Museum, will talk about working with nature as we garden. As an avid NON-gardener, Marian will present a botanist’s view of Nova Scotia gardening using native species. Steeped in folklore, ethnobotany and very little horse sense, her talk promises to engage and provoke!
                                      • Location details:
                                        • Bedford-Hammonds Plains Community Centre,
                                          202 Innovation Drive, Bedford, B4B 0G4
                                        • Basically part of the CPA High School. 
                                        • Go in the REC Centre entrance, up the stairs, turn left, and enter the first large room on your right down the hall.
                                      • 25 April - Special Location: Bedford Library
                                          • Guest speaker: Atlantic Master Gardeners - Pollinator Gardens
                                            • 7:00pm
                                              • Do you enjoy watching the butterflies, bees, and humming birds? This lecture will show you how to plant annuals, perennials, and vegetables to attract pollinators. Having a garden alive with movement adds a wonderful sense of awe to your gardening.
                                              • In partnership with the Atlantic Master Gardeners Association
                                              • Location details:
                                                • Bedford Library, 15 Dartmouth Rd, Bedford, NS B4A 3X6
                                          • 23 May - Special Location: 283 Brennan's Road, Prospect Bay, NS  B3T 2A3
                                            • Spring social and Garden Tour at Donna Silver's house!!
                                              • 7:00pm - 9:00pm
                                                • Donna is going to take us on a tour of her amazing property and answer questions related to how they have accomplished such an oasis!
                                                • It's a world class potluck affair - yummmm!
                                              • June (Saturday, sellers 8am, buyers 9am)
                                                • PAGC Plant Sale, Location Prospect Road Elementary School
                                                  • Early drop-off location to follow!!
                                              • June - August
                                                • A reminder to take pictures for September's show and tell meeting!
                                              2016-2017 Schedule
                                              • 28 September
                                                • Fall meet and greet, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                  • Feel free to bring books, magazines, plant divisions, seeds, bulbs or anything else you would like to share
                                                • Send your garden pics to thepagc@gmail.com to share with the group
                                              • 26 October
                                                • Special Guest: Cora Swinamer, Rhododendrons 101
                                                  • Cora Swinamer is a Landscape Designer from Head of St Margaret’s Bay and is the owner of Under the Arbor Landscape Design (www.underthearbor.ca). She was formerly president of the Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society.  She prepared this Power Point presentation for the Society to further their mission to educate and expand the use of Rhododendrons and other Ericaceous (acid loving) plants in the landscape. Cora is a passionate gardener and has spent the past 20 years expanding her collection of rhododendrons, magnolia, ornamental grasses and Japanese Maples. Her gardens have been featured previously in various Garden Tours as well as the former East Coast Gardening Magazine.  Her Landscape Design business allows her to share her knowledge and passion for plants with others.The talk covers topics including how to select and grow rhododendrons and azalea in our maritime gardens.  It includes wonderful photographs of the plants and how they look in mixed borders.  You will receive a handout that lists the ‘Top Ten’ rhodos and azaleas prepared by the Atlantic Rhododendron and Horticultural Society.
                                                • 23 November
                                                  • Holiday social potluck
                                                    • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery.
                                                    • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
                                                    • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy our activities!
                                                  • Do It Yourself Garden Decor
                                                    • Valerie will be sharing some fun ideas for making your own decorative garden art projects and we'll each be making a little something to take home with us. 
                                                • 25 January
                                                  • Garden Planning Tea Party!
                                                    • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                      • A variety of teas and library gardening books will start off our evening. Bring along your own favourite teas and books to share if you like! :)
                                                    • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
                                                      • The later part of our tea party will include a round table discussion about our garden ideas for the coming season followed by a gardening video interlude.
                                                • 22 February
                                                  • Special Guest - Peter Steeper, Granite Perspectives Imagery & Design
                                                    • We all love to share our love of plants through pictures! Peter Steeper of Granite Perspectives will be visiting to teach us about how to take great photos in our gardens. This will include lessons on photo composition, making the most of natural light, and how to achieve sharp images, as well as ideas for interesting and beautiful images of our gardens and plants. The talk will be general enough to apply to whatever you're using to take photos—from a smart phone to a digital SLR camera. What a treat! Visit his page here: https://www.facebook.com/graniteperspectives/
                                                  • 22 March
                                                      • Confirmed - Seed / Book / Magazine Swap 
                                                        • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                          • Time for a swap! Bring along any seeds, books, magazines or other garden-related items that need a new home! Anything goes! :)
                                                      • Tentative - Guest speaker(s) - Cochrane Family Seeds
                                                        • Heirloom plants with vigor, yeild and suitability for our climate
                                                        • Planning gardens with what grows well in our climate (veggies and flowers)
                                                        • Hearty herbs to grow for health and well being
                                                        • 26 April - Special Location: Hammonds Plains 
                                                            • Guest speaker - Crystal Godfrey (Secret Gardens by Crystal).
                                                              • 7:00pm - 8:00pm
                                                                • Crystal Godfrey will present Matching Plants to Conditions: addressing specific situations such as wet areas, alpine gardens, condominium and balcony gardening challenges, woodland gardens, trees for small yards, sun vs. shade loving plants, planting for bloom time and year round interest, hedging and privacy, and dealing with deer!
                                                                • Location Details:
                                                                  • Bedford-Hammonds Plains Community Centre, 202 Innovation Drive, Bedford - 
                                                                  • Basically part of the CPA High School. 
                                                                  • Go in the REC Centre entrance, up the stairs, turn left, and enter the first large room on your right down the hall.
                                                            • 24 May
                                                              • Spring social & Special Guest, author Denise Adams
                                                                • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                  • It's a world class potluck affair - yummmm!
                                                              • Special Guest: Denise Adams, author of ATLANTIC COASTAL GARDENING (PB): GROWING INSPIRED, RESILIENT PLANTS BY THE SEA
                                                                • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
                                                                  • A PowerPoint presentation of inspiring local coastal gardens and talking about how success was achieved so close to the sea.
                                                                  • Denise Adams is a lifelong seaside gardener who holds a Master of Arts and Art Education from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.  During her studies, she held positions of bilingual tour guide for the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Citadel Hill.  She began teaching French immersion and from there went on to teach art and sociology at the high school level in the Halifax Region.  More recently, she has worked as a survey assistant and is now a landscaping consultant and custom home designer for Saltspray Holdings Inc. in the area of St. Margarets Bay, NS.
                                                                  • Denise will have the following books available for sale, They will make great Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts (or gift-to-self)!
                                                                    • Atlantic Coastal Gardening  $27.95
                                                                    • Little Book of Sea & Soul  $10.95
                                                                    • For the Love of Lobster  $18.95
                                                              • June (Saturday, sellers 8am, buyers 9am)
                                                                • PAGC Plant Sale, Location Prospect Road Elementary School
                                                                  • Early drop-off location to follow!!
                                                              • June - August
                                                                • A reminder to take pictures for September's show and tell meeting!
                                                              2015-2016 Schedule
                                                              • 23 September
                                                                • Fall meet and greet, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                                  • Feel free to bring books, magazines, plant divisions, seeds, bulbs or anything else you would like to share
                                                                • Send your garden pics to thepagc@gmail.com to share with the group
                                                              • 28 October
                                                                • Special Guest: Andrew Lowe (Lee Valley), Sharpening Garden Tools and Mower Blades
                                                                  • Andrew has lots of experience keeping garden tools sharp!
                                                                    He's going to give us a hands-on demo with lots of tips for those tricky blades.
                                                                  • If you have a garden tool that you find dull or tough to sharpen, bring it along!
                                                                  • We'll be trying to book the art room at the Community Centre for this one! 
                                                                • 25 November
                                                                  • Holiday social potluck
                                                                    • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery.
                                                                    • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
                                                                    • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy our activities!
                                                                  • Special Guest: Rhonda Reese
                                                                    • Rhonda is going to do a demonstration of how she makes an inexpensive wreath every year!
                                                                • 27 January
                                                                  • Club Talks: Special Guests from our own club!
                                                                    • Join us for a variety of 10 minute presentations from several of our club members who will be sharing their knowledge on a wide range of garden related subjects!
                                                                    • This meeting will be very interactive and sure way to pick up some great tips!
                                                                • 24 February
                                                                  • Seed / Book / Magazine Swap 
                                                                    • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                      • Time for a swap! Bring along any seeds, books, magazines or other garden-related items that need a new home! Anything goes! :)
                                                                  • Special Guest: Sandra Newton
                                                                    • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
                                                                      • Sandra is going to share all about her experiences with greenhouse gardening!
                                                                • 23 March
                                                                    • Seed / Book / Magazine Swap - continued!
                                                                      • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                        • We'll continue swapping! Bring along any seeds, books, magazines or other garden-related items that need a new home! Anything goes! :)
                                                                    • Special Guest: Jayme Melrose
                                                                      • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
                                                                        • Jayme is returning!  Last time she was here, she shared the story of the community garden on the hospital grounds in the middle of the city.  This time, she will be discussing the diversity of native plants.
                                                                  • 27 April 
                                                                      • We have been invited to visit the Hammonds Plains Area Garden Club!!
                                                                        • Bedford Hammonds Plains Community Centre, next to the CPA High School at 202 Innovation Drive from 7:00-9:00 pm. Simply go in the REC Centre entrance, up the stairs, turn left, and enter the first large room on your right down the hall.
                                                                      • Special Guest: Marjorie Willison
                                                                        • How to have a garden with a busy life: Join us for a presentation on Low Maintenance Gardening by well-known local gardening expert Marjorie Willison.
                                                                        • 25 May
                                                                          • Spring social and Sandra's tomato plants for sale
                                                                            • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                              • It's a world class potluck affair - yummmm!
                                                                              • Sandra will also have some of her tomato plants for sale with part of the procedes going to Prostate Cancer Canada.
                                                                          • Activities: Plant sale planning and day lily video screening
                                                                            • 7:30pm - 9:00pm
                                                                              • We'll spend a bit of time planning the final details of the yard sale.
                                                                              • Then we will enjoy a special video on day lilies shared by Ron and Joan.
                                                                          • June (Saturday, sellers 8am, buyers 9am)
                                                                            • PAGC Plant Sale, Location TBA
                                                                              • Drop off location to follow!!
                                                                          • June - August
                                                                            • A reminder to take pictures for September's show and tell meeting!
                                                                          2014-2015 Schedule
                                                                          • 24 September
                                                                            • Fall meet and greet, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                                              • Feel free to bring books, magazines, plant divisions, seeds, bulbs or anything else you would like to share
                                                                            • Send your garden pics to thepagc@gmail.com to share with the group
                                                                          • 22 October
                                                                            • Special Guest: Peter Gamble - Garden Structures and Outdoor Art
                                                                              • Peter Gamble has a Master's Degree in Architecture and when not designing buildings, you can find him in his Shad Bay Studio making noise and sawdust.  Join us for an exploration of how he creates wonderful garden structures and outdoor art from a variety of found objects and available supplies.
                                                                            • 26 November
                                                                              • Holiday social potluck
                                                                                • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery
                                                                                • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
                                                                                • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy our activities!
                                                                              • Special Guest: Robert Cunningham - soil, soil, soil and preparing for winter!
                                                                              • 28 January
                                                                                • Club Talks: Special Guests from our own club!
                                                                                  • Join us for a variety of 10 minute presentations from several of our club members who will be sharing their knowledge on a wide range of garden related subjects!
                                                                                  • This meeting will be very interactive and sure way to pick up some great tips!
                                                                              • 25 February - cancelled
                                                                                • Seed / Book / Magazine Swap 
                                                                                  • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                                    • Time for a swap! Bring along any seeds, books, magazines or other garden-related items that need a new home! Anything goes! :)
                                                                                • Special Guest: Heidi Boutilier - Horticultural Supervisor, TPW / MOPS
                                                                                  • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
                                                                                    • Year-round landscaping - how to create interest throughout every season.  Ideas about how to "layer" the landscape so that there is always something captivating going on. Information on effective succession planting in a garden so that it doesn't leave ugly gaps when plants die back throughout the season.  Maybe even a few ideas about some plant combinations that work well together.
                                                                              • 25 March
                                                                                • Seed / Book / Magazine Swap 
                                                                                  • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                                    • Time for a swap! Bring along any seeds, books, magazines or other garden-related items that need a new home! Anything goes! :)
                                                                                • Special Guest: Jayme Melrose - Common Roots urban Farm
                                                                                  • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
                                                                                    • An overview of the local Common Roots Urban Farm project, including how they build, plant and maintain each plot as a community.
                                                                              • 22 April 
                                                                                • HPAGC Visits!
                                                                                  • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                                    • This month we are happy to welcome back the Hammonds Plains Area Garden Club!  We'll start with getting to know each other better with a few snacks and a short guided activity.
                                                                                • Special Guest: Marjorie Willison, author
                                                                                  • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
                                                                                    • Marjorie is going to give us the low down on pruning our local plants and shrubs!  She has a wealth of knowledge and this promises to be a very interesting evening!
                                                                                • 27 May
                                                                                  • Spring social
                                                                                    • 7:00pm - 7:30pm
                                                                                      • It's a world class potluck affair - yummmm!
                                                                                  • Special Guest: Heidi Boutilier - Horticultural Supervisor, TPW / MOPS
                                                                                    • 7:30pm - 8:30pm
                                                                                      • Year-round landscaping - how to create interest throughout every season.  Ideas about how to "layer" the landscape so that there is always something captivating going on. Information on effective succession planting in a garden so that it doesn't leave ugly gaps when plants die back throughout the season.  Maybe even a few ideas about some plant combinations that work well together.
                                                                                  • June 20 (Saturday, sellers 8am, buyers 9am)
                                                                                    • PAGC Plant Sale, Prospect Road Elementary School parking lot
                                                                                      • We were sold out in just over an hour last year!!
                                                                                  • June - August
                                                                                    • A reminder to take pictures for September's show and tell meeting!


                                                                                    2013-2014 Schedule
                                                                                    • 25 September
                                                                                      • Fall swap, meet and greet, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                                                        • Bring books, magazines, plant divisions, seeds, bulbs or anything else you would like to share
                                                                                      • Slideshow of local garden pics
                                                                                    • 23 October
                                                                                    • 27 November
                                                                                      • Holiday social potluck - featuring garlic!
                                                                                        • We will provide coffee, tea, juice, cups, plates and cutlery
                                                                                        • All contributions welcome: finger foods, sandwiches, hot dishes, cold plates, drinks, etc.
                                                                                        • We will be partaking in the food while we enjoy a talk by our special guest!
                                                                                      • Special guest speaker - Pamela Newton talks all about flowers
                                                                                        • Pam Newton was born and raised in New York City but has lived in Cape Breton for the past fifty years.
                                                                                        • A keen gardener she has been a member of the Westmount Garden Club for nearly forty years and soon realised that her favorite Club event was the annual flower show. 
                                                                                        • She has participated in Westmount flower shows and in other flower shows on the island winning a variety of prizes along the way, and has convened, and co-convened, Westmount flower shows for several years. She also took part in the Toronto Flower Show and four times competed in the New England Flower Show in Boston where her flower arrangement depicting the Niagara Falls won second prize.
                                                                                        • At the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia she participated in the exhibit “Art in Bloom” in which art is interpreted with flowers.
                                                                                        • She also organised and participated in a number of Art in Bloom interpretations and demonstrations on Cape Breton.
                                                                                    • 22 January
                                                                                      • Cancelled due to bad weather.
                                                                                      • 26 February
                                                                                        • Guest speakers - John Speagle and Freeman Dryden
                                                                                          • Creating your own pond or water feature.
                                                                                      • 26 March - postponed due to bad weather
                                                                                      • 9 April
                                                                                        • Guest speaker - Ian Jack, Fernwood Nursery
                                                                                          • Presentation Title: A World of Ferns for Canadian Gardens
                                                                                          • Description: This slide show presentation explores the unique and ancient history of ferns, the many ways of using ferns in the landscape, and the large variety of ferns suitable for Canadian gardens.
                                                                                          • Bio: Iain Jack is owner and operator of Fernwood Plant Nursery in Hubbards, NS. He is a graduate with honours of NSCC’s Commercial Greenhouse Production program. Also a social worker, plants have been part of his life and work for many years, from community organizing with community garden groups to recreational horticulture with persons with disabilities. In 2009 Iain decided to return to his horticultural roots and passion for propagation by starting a nursery. Inspired by a love of woodlands, wild and cultivated, Fernwood is a mail-order nursery dedicated to offering Canadian gardeners the best hardy ferns. Its goal is to explore and promote the diversity and landscape value of native and hardy exotic ferns. At last count there were over 50 varieties of ferns in the Fernwood collection.
                                                                                      • 23 April 
                                                                                        • Guest speaker - Dave Belt, Seafoam Lavender Farm
                                                                                          • Presentation Title: Lavender 101
                                                                                          • Description: Are you confused by contradictory information about lavender found on the Internet?  Ever tried to grow lavender, but had disappointing results?  Curious about soil preparation; varieties which do best in the Maritimes; when/how to prune; and when/how to harvest?  Well, this is the presentation for you!  Dave Belt, owner of Seafoam Lavender Farm, will share helpful insights sure to enlighten and help you to successfully care for your very own lavender plants.  
                                                                                          • Bio: Following a 22-year career in the military forces spent primarily in caves and windowless underground vaults, Dave (and wife, Suzy, plus children Kiva and Collin), wanted to spend time working outdoors -- a second career with plenty of sunshine and fresh air.  So for the ensuing 8 years, the Belt Family raised alpacas and operated a fibre-arts training studio on a ranch high in the Rockies.

                                                                                            When the children grew up and went away to university, however, livestock proved too physically demanding for Dave and Suzy to manage alone, so in 2004 they sold their herd and moved home to Nova Scotia.  Initially, they owned and operated a cafe called "Sunrise Mercantile" in Tatamagouche, which was ranked in the "500 Best Places to Eat in Canada" travel guide and was featured in the CBC mini-series "The Week the Women Went."

                                                                                            By 2009, however, Dave and Suzy again longed for the "Great Outdoors," so they sold the Mercantile and moved to a beautiful farm in Seafoam, Nova Scotia (20 km west of Pictou).  This time, they planted some 3,500 lavender plants and started an eco-tourism and manufacturing business called Seafoam Lavender Farm.  Today, the farm welcomes some 5,000 summertime tourists annually, many of whom come for the Seafoam Lavender Festival (held the third weekend of July).

                                                                                            In addition to the summertime farm operations, Dave and Suzy also have a year-round storefront at the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market (Pier 20, behind the Westin Hotel), where they sell their own line of 65 handmade lavender culinary, household, and skincare products.  Seafoam Lavender goods can also be found in 30+ select retail stores in the Atlantic Provinces and the eastern United States.
                                                                                          • About Seafoam Farm:  Located on the pastoral shores of Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Strait…on a lush escarpment overlooking Prince Edward Island….lie the beautiful rows of lavender at Seafoam Lavender Farm.  Between the earthy aromas of the surrounding deep forest;  the light hint of salt spray;  and the heavenly aroma of lavender, a visit to Seafoam Lavender Farm causes sensory overload – but in a very good way!  Bring a picnic lunch and sit under one of our beautiful shade trees, or wander through the lavender fields.  You can even play in the ocean, as we are located just 15 minutes from two world-class, public-access beaches.  We are a small, family-owned/operated agricultural business, dedicated to producing superior-quality, direct-from-the-farm lavender products.  Each product is individually made in small batches to ensure freshness. Our products are all-natural, without artificial colours or preservatives.
                                                                                          • SEAPORT FARMERS’ MARKET
                                                                                            Pier 20, 1209 Terminal Road, Halifax NS, B3H 4P8
                                                                                            (Near the Westin Hotel, just off Lower Water Street)
                                                                                            • WINTER HOURS (January-April)
                                                                                              Sunday (9-3)
                                                                                              Tuesday-Friday (11-5)
                                                                                              Saturday (7-3)
                                                                                              Closed Mondays.
                                                                                      • 28 May
                                                                                        • Spring social - it's a world class potluck affair - yummmm!
                                                                                          • Set up 6:30pm. Social 7:00pm. Speaker 7:30pm.
                                                                                        • Guest speaker - Stephanie Appleby-Jones, St. Mary's University
                                                                                          • Presentation Title: Green Technology. 
                                                                                          • Description: I will talk about green walls and green roofs.  I'll discuss the installation and care of hydroponic interior walls, a bit about the installation and plants in the exterior wall.  I'll move on to green roofs, some history, and the research that the Lundholm lab is doing with Barrens plants and other species.   
                                                                                          • Bio: I had many years of horticulture experience before I went to school (floral, garden centre, landscaping).  I taught gardening and composting classes for HRM.  I have a Horticulture Diploma (2006) and a Bachelor of Technology Environmental Horticulture (2009) from Dalhousie Agricultural Campus (formerly Nova Scotia Agricultural College). While at school, I taught in the Garden Centre Training classes at the college. I worked at the Landscape Specialist for three years at the NSCC Centre for the Built Environment. I am currently a MSc Candidate at Saint Mary's University, planning to defend my thesis in August.  My thesis is titled: The effects of Ascophyllum nodosum (Norwegian kelp), fertilizer, and compost on seed germination, growth, health, and drought tolerance of green roof plants.  My Master's work has included a greenhouse experiment and a green roof installation using vegetated plant mats. 
                                                                                      • June 7
                                                                                        • PAGC Plant Sale, Prospect Road Elementary School parking lot

                                                                                      • June - August
                                                                                        • A reminder to take pictures for September's meeting

                                                                                       2012-2013 Schedule
                                                                                      • 26 September
                                                                                        • Fall swap, meet and greet, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                                                          • Bring books, magazines, plant divisions, seeds, bulbs or anything else you would like to share
                                                                                        • Slideshow of local garden pics
                                                                                        • Presentation on building a garden cover
                                                                                      • 24 October
                                                                                        • Preserving The Harvest
                                                                                          • We will be discussing and collecting ideas for some of the best techniques and recipes for preserving your garden harvest through the seasons - fruits, veggies and flowers.
                                                                                      • 28 November
                                                                                        • Holiday social
                                                                                        • Various presentations and activities planned
                                                                                          • Wendy and Valerie talk about spices - including some gift-giving ideas.
                                                                                          • Sandra Newton talks baking
                                                                                      • 23 January
                                                                                      • 27 February
                                                                                      • 27 March
                                                                                        • Ed Glanville
                                                                                          • Hidden Treasures of High Head. A walk from Prospect Village with wild orchids, symbiotic fungi and carnivorous plants. How plants cope with ocean blasts and little available nitrogen.
                                                                                      • 24 April 
                                                                                        • Niki Jabbour: Crops In Pots
                                                                                          • We are meeting at the Keshan Goodman Library; talk starts at 7pm SHARP
                                                                                      • 22 May
                                                                                        • Spring social - it's a world class potluck affair - yummmm!
                                                                                        • Plant swap - bring plant divisions or plant babies that need a new home
                                                                                          (potted plants will be used for a special plant "auction" - don't worry, it's free! :)
                                                                                        • Other fun activities to kick off the summer season
                                                                                      • June - August
                                                                                        • A reminder to take pictures for September's meeting
                                                                                        • Tours of member gardens

                                                                                      2011 - 2012 Schedule
                                                                                      • 28 September - fall swap, meet and greet, and registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                                                        • Bring books, magazines, plant divisions, seeds, bulbs or anything else you would like to share
                                                                                      • 26 October
                                                                                        • Allison from Halifax Seed talks about fall veggie gardening
                                                                                      • 23 November
                                                                                        • Wendy and Valerie talk about the benefits of some common roots, immune health and avoiding the common cold
                                                                                      • Early date: 14 December
                                                                                        • holiday social at the Rec. Ctr. in the "Rubber Room"
                                                                                          • various presentations and activities planned
                                                                                      • 25 January
                                                                                        • Bob MacDonald - gardening to attract birds and wildlife to your yard
                                                                                      • 22 February
                                                                                        • Paul Dickie - the fascinating world of bees and beekeeping
                                                                                      • 28 March
                                                                                        • Collecting perennial orders
                                                                                        • Members present their favorite garden related items in 2 minutes or less! :)
                                                                                      • 25 April
                                                                                        • Spring social, at the Rec. Ctr. - with the Hammonds Plains Garden Club
                                                                                      • 23 May
                                                                                        • Special Guest: Author, Jodi DeLong (bloomingwriter.blogspot.com)
                                                                                      • June - August
                                                                                        • Tours of member gardens

                                                                                      2010 - 2011 Schedule
                                                                                      • 22 September
                                                                                        • registration (don't forget your $$ :)
                                                                                      • 27 October 
                                                                                        • Bill Mercier, Dahlias
                                                                                      • 24 November
                                                                                      • DATE CHANGED TO: 15 December - (holiday social at the Rec. Ctr.)
                                                                                      • 26 January
                                                                                        • Lasagna Gardening and Worm Composting
                                                                                      • 23 February
                                                                                        • Hands-On Winter Sowing Workshop
                                                                                      • 23 March
                                                                                        • Clarence Stevens: Attracting Birds To Your Yard
                                                                                      • 27 April
                                                                                        • Phil Warman: Soil pH, liming and plant nutrition.
                                                                                        • As part of his talk, Phil will bring his pH meter so that any club member can have a free soil pH test and lime requirement analysis... see our web site entry for this meeting for details about how to collect your soil sample.
                                                                                      • 25 May
                                                                                        • Summer social, at the Rec. Ctr.
                                                                                      • June - August
                                                                                        • Tours of member gardens

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