MGABC

Free Workshop: Yard Free Composting
2025-11-22 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto) | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
We’ll cover options that are available for composting without a yard. Surprisingly, there are many, and we’ll discover the benefits and drawbacks to each so you can determine the system that is right for your life & home. We’ll learn about:

-countertop electric food dehydrators & “composters”

-private food scrap pick up, municipal food scrap pick up & proper use of greenbins

-bokashi composting

-worm composting

The Victoria Horticultural Society Special Presentation: Exploring the World of Sinningias (Gloxinia) with Bryan Emery
2025-11-04 19:15 - 21:00 | Ukranian Cultural Centre, 3277 Douglas St., Victoria, BC, Canada
The Victoria Horticultural Society will meet on Nov. 4, 2025 from 7:15 to 9:00 PM at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre (3277 Douglas St).

Our speaker is Bryan Emery, who will address the topic “Exploring the world of Sinningias (Gloxinia) beyond the ‘Florist Gloxinia’ ,“including their use in gardens and containers. Bryan is the owner of Bryan’s Plants, a specialty plant nursery in Victoria.

Only $5:00 at the door for non-members! For more information, visit www.vichortsociety.org.

Mason Bee Cocoon Harvest and Cleaning Workshop
2025-11-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd, Victoria, BC, Canada
If you have a mason bee nesting box out this Summer and are not sure what to do next, then this class is for you. Cleaning your nesting box and cocoons is vital for the health of the bees and an essential task for the mason bee keeper. The purpose is to save viable cocoons and safely store them over the winter away from pests and diseases. Cleaning your nesting box also prevents pests and diseases from spreading to other bees in your area.

Free In-person Workshop: Composting Basics
2025-11-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
What is the recipe for compost success and why does composting matter? This workshop will explore the answers to these questions, and will offer instructions on what it takes to produce an amendment for your garden that is rich in beneficial microorganisms and nutrients! We’ll cover the 6 factors for composting success, how to choose the best composting system for your needs and how to increase the rodent resistance of your compost pile.

Free attendance to this workshop is generously subsidized by the CRD.

Grow Your Own Mushrooms
2025-10-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
In this workshop students will learn the main steps used in cultivating mushrooms at home using low tech methods. The lecture will include basic fungal biology, information on tools needed to grow mushrooms, making liquid culture, grain spawn and preparation of straw for Oyster mushrooms and for King Stropharia. For the hands-on part, students will be making their own straw bag with Oyster Mushroom spawn to bring home. The focus will be to introduce people to the exciting potential of growing mushrooms at home and in the garden and provide them with the necessary information to begin on their fungal adventures.

Free Workshop: Sheet Mulching
2025-10-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
In situ composting, or soil building in the form of Sheet Mulching is a fast process of building fertile soil where there isn’t any, converting lawn landscapes into active growing gardens, or simply adding more nutrients to existing gardens. We’ll first learn about the principles behind sheet mulching and why/how it works, then we’ll build a sheet mulch bed in the gardens at the Compost Education Centre with a variety of organic matter. Come ready to get dirty and do some shoveling!

Free attendance to this workshop is generously subsidized by the CRD.

Harvesting Mason Bees
2025-10-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
Bring your bee houses that have been out for the growing season and we will learn how to harvest the cocoons of our native mason bees, and do that harvesting together. We will identify any pests and parasites that we encounter, learn how to clean the cocoons properly leaving the houses ready for the spring. We will also learn how to store the cocoons safely over the winters, any trouble shooting and how to release the bees again in spring.

Victoria Orchid Society 2025 Show and Sale
2025-10-18 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-17 13:00 - 19:00 | Lady of Fatima Church, 1635 Elk Lake Drive, Victoria, BC, Canada
Admission $7 Orchid displays, sales, and tropical plants for sale.

Victoria Horticultural Society Special Presentation: How to Support our Local Birds with Ann Nightingale
2025-10-07 06:30 - 21:00 | Ukrainian Cultural Centre, 3277 Douglas St., Victoria
The Victoria Horticultural Society will meet on October 7, 2025 at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre (3277 Douglas St). The meeting will be preceded by a workshop on worm composting presented by Bethany Couture, from Garden Alchemist (6:30-7:00 pm). Our featured speaker (8:00-9:00 pm) is Ann Nightingale, who is an active volunteer with Rocky Point Bird Observatory and Nature Victoria and has coordinated the Victoria Christmas Bird Count for more than 20 years. She will speak about the birds inhabiting our neighborhoods and how we can support them in a time of avian flu and climate change. Only $5:00 at the door for non-members! For more information, visit www.vichortsociety.org.

On-line Workshop: Gardening With Native Plants
2025-10-05 12:00 - 14:00 | BC
Capital region residents are invited to attend an introductory workshop about gardening with drought-resistant native plants.

An Introduction to Lichens
2025-10-04 13:00 - 15:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
This workshop introduces participants to noticing, identifying, and understanding the amazing lichens that surround us in our urban and suburban ecosystems. Build your knowledge around how to identify lichens, what a lichen is, common lichen species in Lekwungen Territory, what a lichen can tell us about the environment, lichen ecology, and discuss the ethics of collecting fallen lichens for various uses. Will take place both indoors and outdoors with the possibility of microscope work.

Free Workshop: Under the Microscope - Living Soils
2025-10-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
The soil under our feet is teeming with a web of microscopic life, whose complex interactions support all other terrestrial life. Healthy soils feature an intact and diverse microbial food web, which sustain nutrient cycles and maintain soil structure. Under the microscope, together we will observe living soil microbes, and gain an understanding of the different niches that they occupy within the soil food web.

We’ll finish by discussing the most effective ways to steward this living medium, and come away with a inspired understanding of the intricate ways life in the soil, supports all life on earth.

Native Plant Workshop
2025-10-04 00:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-21 00:00 - 15:00 | Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Road, Victoria, BC, Canada

Plant Identification and Culture with Jane Tice
2025-09-27 13:00 - 16:00 | Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd, Victoria, BC, Canada
This is a monthly class in which participants will be introduced to 20 new plants in each session.

If you are a new gardener, new to Victoria or just want to brush up on your plant knowledge, this is a great place to get started. This is a monthly class where participants will be introduced to 20 new plants which fit with our local climate. Plants are selected for our local growing conditions and the value they bring to the garden. Part of the class will be in the classroom and part will be out in the gardens to view the plants for that month. Dress for the weather and bring something to take notes.

Camosun College's Horticultural Studies Student Plant Sale
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:00 | Royal Roads University, 2005 Sooke Road, Victoria, BC, Canada
The Farm at Royal Roads**, Royal Roads University Gardens, 2005 Sooke Rd.

Come see our selection of shrubs, perennials, veggie starts, winter flowering annuals, succulents and more!

Located at the entrance near the upper parking lot

Wildlife Friendly Fall Garden Care with the David Suzuki Foundation
2025-09-21 11:00 - 12:00 | BC
As the seasons change, our gardens play a vital role in helping wildlife thrive. Although it may be tempting to tidy up fallen leaves, stems and branches in autumn, these natural elements provide essential shelter for pollinators and other creatures through the colder months.Join us for a free Butterflyway webinar on Sunday, September 21, at 2 p.m. (EDT) / 11 a.m. (PST) to learn simple, nature-friendly ways you can care for your garden this fall — supporting butterflies, bees and biodiversity in your own backyard.Our featured speaker, Dorte Windmuller — Butterflyway Ranger, pollinator garden designer and nature photographer — will share beautiful images, inspiring stories and practical tips on how to follow nature’s lead this season.

One Day Mini Bee School With the Native Bee Society of BC
2025-09-21 09:00 - 16:30 | Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd, Victoria, BC, Canada
Have you always wanted to know how to ID the amazing diversity of native bees buzzing around your flowers? Where do they nest, what do they eat, and how can you support them? Join the Native Bee Society of BC‘s Bee Biology and Identification workshop in at the HCP on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

Apple Identification Workshop
2025-09-20 14:00 - 17:00 | Dinter Nursery, 2205 Phipps Rd, Duncan, BC, Canada
A fruit tree expert will help gardeners identify the variety of apples brought in. For the best chance of successful identification, visit dinternurseery.ca and click on Customer Service and Education for guidelines on bringing in apples. In the case of mystery apples that are not yet ripe, Dinter’s fruit tree expert will return on Saturday, Oct. 25, to help identify late season apples.

Free Workshop: Advanced Composting
2025-09-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
This workshop aims to broaden the scope of participants’ knowledge of composting methods and will cover methods of composting that require more work and attention. Topics covered will include hot composting to produce big quantities of nutrient rich, living compost quickly, increasing the biology and nutrients in your compost pile using dynamic accumulators, how to make compost tea and in-situ composting methods like sheet mulching. We’ll even touch on the basics of humanure.

*If you are new to composting, we suggest you take one of our free Composting Basics workshops before taking Advanced Composting.

Free attendance to this workshop is generously subsidized by the CRD.

Peninsula Garden Club Fall Plant Sale
2025-09-20 09:00 - 11:00 | Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

Native Plant Workshop
2025-09-20 00:00 - 15:00 | Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Road, Victoria, BC, Canada
Capital region residents are invited to attend an introductory workshop about gardening with drought-resistant native plants.

YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT:

An introduction to the CRD’s water conservation program

Native plant identification

An overview of the cultural history & ecological benefits of native plants

A tour of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary native plant gardens, and

HCP Fall Plant Sale
2025-09-19 09:00 - 2025-09-20 16:00 | Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd, Victoria, BC, Canada
Friday, September 19th from 9 – 4 pm (HCP volunteers and HCP members only)

Saturday, September 20th from 9 – 4 pm (Everyone Welcome)

Fall is the perfect time for planting, the soil is still warm, and the fall rains are on the way! All plants are reduced by 25% and the ever-popular bargain bin will have plants at a 50% discount for our ‘pot bound specials’, plants that just need to get out of the pot to thrive). Victoria Master Gardeners, HCP staff, PHC students and volunteers will help with your gardening questions and to choose the right plant for your garden. The plant availability list will be available on the website prior to the sale

Free On-line Workshop: Composting Basics
2025-09-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria

Summer Fruit Tree Pruning
2025-09-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd, Victoria, BC, Canada
Pruning fruit trees in the summer? That’s right! It can be done…and arborist Gordon Mackay will show you how in this introduction to the wonders of summer pruning for fruit trees.

While most pruning happens in the winter, for backyard fruit trees, summer pruning provides some important advantages to consider. Damage repair, size control, disease management, enhancing fruit quality and tree aesthetics are all good reasons to get up into your trees on a sunny day and snip away.

View Royal Garden Club Fall Show - Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Exhibition
2025-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Esquimalt United Church, Wheeley Hall, 500 Lyall Street, Victoria, BC, Canada
$5 Admission includes door prize tickets and refreshments and entrance to the Flower, Fruit and Vegetable

Exhibition. For the show schedule, check our website https://viewroyalgardenclub.ca or for Exhibit Info Call (250) 858-9568

Grow the Best Garlic
2025-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
In this workshop we’ll focus on all the best practices when it comes to growing and harvesting garlic as well as garlic history, general info and learning about the different garlic groups. From bed prep and ammending your garlic, to seed selection, through to tending growing garlic and how to harvest, cure and store it. There will also be some garlic variety identification – so please bring your garlic bulbs with you if your not quite sure what variety you’ve got to plant!

Free Workshop: Worm Composting
2025-09-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Compost Education Centre, 1216 North Park St., Victoria
Everything you need to know about starting up and maintaining a worm bin compost system, also known as vermicomposting. Perfect for small space composting and apartment living, or in addition to other composting systems you already have started at your home. Vermicompost is every gardener’s dream as a finished soil amendment, and serves as a fast, easy food waste diversion tool.

Free attendance to this workshop is generously subsidized by the CRD.

Gardening Answer Clinic (Ask a Master Gardener) at the Summerland Gardens Fall Plant Sale
2025-09-13 09:00 - 12:00 | Summerland Ornamental Gardens, 4200 BC-97, Summerland, BC, V0H 1Z4, Canada
The Okanagan Master Gardeners will be hosting an Answer Clinic (Ask a Master Gardener) at the annual Summerland Gardens Fall Plant Sale.

Event: Summerland Gardens Spring Plant Sale

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025

Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Noon

Location: Summerland Ornamental Gardens

Address: 4200 Highway #97 South, Summerland, BC

Entry Fee: By Donation
