Would you like to schedule a Victoria Master Gardener to speak to your gardening club or other group? Victoria Master Gardeners do presentations on a variety of gardening topics as part of their mission to share members’ knowledge, experience, and love of sustainable horticulture with the public. Presentations typically range from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
To request a Victoria Master Gardener for your event please contact us at vmgacommunications@msvmga.org at least 6 weeks before your event date, and include the following information in your e-mail:
- Event date and the time you want the presenter to arrive (either virtual or in-person) plus the actual presentation start time.
- Event contact name, telephone number and e-mail address
- Event site and street address, city and zip code if requesting an in-person speaker.
- Number of anticipated guests/attendees.
- The topic you would like to have presented. See options below
Once a request is received, we will do our best to provide a speaker. However Victoria Master Gardeners are volunteers, and we cannot guarantee a Master Gardener will be available for your specific event date/time.
Speaker: Anita Kess
Victoria’s Japanese Gardens: From Ancient Asia to Modern Victoria
The talk draws a historical line from Ice Age Asian migrations, through the arrival of rice cultivation, Shinto, Buddhism, contact with Tang-dynasty China, the arrival of tea culture and Buddhism, Japanese feudalism, the opening up of Japan to the West, the Japan-British Exhibition of 1910, the influence of the BC Electric Company, the Gorge Japanese garden, Hatley Castle, the exhaustion of the Butchart limestone quarry and subsequent development of Butchart Gardens, World War II, the Takata garden at HCP, to the Nitobe garden at Royal Jubilee.
Getting Stared with Container Gardening
A beginner’s guide to growing herbs and flowers in containers
Speaker: Jennifer Kolot
Growing Food Crops
Indoors Under Lights
Break your dependence on the grocery store! This beginners course will explain how it is possible to successfully grow food crops indoors all year round under lights. Learn what equipment to buy, how to get started, what crops/varieties to try, as well as basic problem solving.
How to Grow a Bumper Crop of Tomatoes
Learn how to choose tomato varieties, start them from seed, and transplant out, plus ongoing care tips, and potential pitfalls.
Keeping Calm and Gardening with Deer
The deer are everywhere! Learn how to deter them from your garden and what to plant that they won’t eat.
Speaker: Fran Benton
All About Lichens
Learn what types of common lichens you might find in your garden, and how they differ from mosses and liverworts. Also explore historical uses such as food, medicine, magic, and dyes, as well as look at interesting places lichens grow around the world.
Speaker: Jo-Ann Matiachuk
Small But Mighty: Growing Edibles in Urban Gardens
There is no garden too small (or too big) to grow edibles! From containers to raised bed planters and beyond you can choose to grow veggies, fruit or berries and make your contribution to biodiversity, sustainability and food security. Be inspired to grow your own – or at least SOME of your own – delicious organic food!
My Grandma Has Worms!!
Worm Farming for Fun and Fertilizer!
Keeping a small worm farm in your porch, shed, garage or even in a closet or kitchen is an easy and fascinating hobby. Worm farming recycles food waste and benefits your garden or container plants while entertaining your family and friends! Meet some Red Wigglers and see the stages of vermicompost. Learn about the secret life of worms and their role in soil health!