MGAA Study Day

Our First In-Person Study Day

The MGAA Learning Committee is very excited to present our first Study Day on June 17 in Calgary.  This is an opportunity to increase your knowledge with Jane Reksten, a perennial expert and highly respected horticulturalist.  After the morning presentation, participants will spend the afternoon touring two incredible local gardens. These two spaces are truly unique and showcase a level of horticultural excellence not often seen.

This is a member’s only event but we invite you to bring along a guest.  Tickets are $25/person.  Space is limited.  For more information and to purchase tickets send an email to [email protected].

Hope to see you there!

Ecological Gardening – perennials and their garden habitats

Gardeners that look beyond their garden gate will have found it hard to ignore the trend towards what is variously known as:  ‘naturalistic planting design’; ‘designing with plants’; ‘new wave perennials planting’ or ‘wild-scaping’.  They describe a philosophy of gardening which requires seeing plants for more than their flowers, embracing their form, structure, and how well they earn their keep after they have died back in the fall. Gardeners that follow this movement aim to use plants based on ‘ecological rather than purely aesthetic principles, which ultimately should lead to low-maintenance, sustainable gardening spaces.

In this workshop we will go beyond the simplified information typically found in plant catalogues and on tags.  We will dig deeper into the true habits and growth patterns of plants, and discuss the importance of their origins – all of which allows us to use plants successfully.  We will make a close examination of garden habitats, and study the difference between highly bred border perennials and native perennials, and their suitability for the garden.

Jane’s bio

Jane Reksten has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria in Microbiology and Environmental Studies and a Diploma in Horticulture from Olds College. She worked in the landscape maintenance and development industry for five years before joining the Calgary Zoo and Botanical Gardens, first as the Schoolyard Naturalization Project leader, and then the Botanical Education Coordinator and Manager of Continuing Education.  Jane joined Olds College in 2011 and managed the Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses until 2020.  She is now an independent consultant, and the Head Gardener for Lougheed House.  Jane is a regular writer and speaker on a variety of gardening topics and has a particular interest in perennials and design.