Master Gardeners Association of Alberta

CHS: Think Spring!
2026-02-07 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | via ZOOM
Think Spring!
Saturday, February 7, 2026

10:00 am Keynote Speaker Laura Peters, Size Doesn’t Matter: Creative Gardening Ideas for Every Little Nook. Laura is an Albertan who has written over 30 gardening books.
The three afternoon sessions take the topic a bit further:
12:30 pm: Wendy Zak addresses, Food Gardening in Containers—Big Fun in a Small Space;
1:15 pm: Patti Bretin and Phil Pickering are presenting, Waterwise containers – Get the most out of your container plantings with sub-irrigation containers, and
2:30 pm Kath Smyth wraps up the day with Small Gardens, Big Attitude.

Tickets: Society member $7.50, non-member $15.00 (+GST)
Learn more and get ticket on the Society’s website calhort.org/What’s Happening. www.calhort.org

MGAA: Spring Symposium (On-Line)
2026-02-28 08:00 - 17:00 | via ZOOM
2026 MGAA Spring Symposium
Feb. 28th 9-3:30
Speakers:
Wilbert Ronald of Jeffries nurseries: Columnar Trees
Columnar trees are extremely popular accent and screening trees in the flat Canadian prairies. In recent years the Columnar Swedish aspen cultivar was among the most popular of columnar trees but it has lost its position due to disease and introduction of other new trees. A number of newer columnar trees including columnar flowering crabapples, columnar Parkland Pillar birch and other trees are coming to the forefront.
John Acorn, Naturalist: Butterflies in the Garden and Beyond
There are more than 170 species of butterflies in Alberta, and many of these are familiar garden insects. Gardening for butterflies involves the use of both nectar-source flowers to attract the adults, and caterpillar food plants to sustain the larvae. Naturally, most types of pesticides should be avoided. Monarchs are of course the most popular of the Alberta species, but in truth they are almost entirely limited to the southern centres such as Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. And if the garden butterflies are an inspiration to you, you might also enjoy pursuing butterflies farther afield, in environments that are difficult to replicate in a managed garden.
Tony Spencer: Wildscaping
In the post-wild countryside of Mono, Ontario, Tony Spencer is conducting a series of open experiments to combine naturalistic planting design with Blue-Green Infrastructure into a fluid ecological art form.
Working on the local level ,he cultivates his universal concept of Wildscaping. This is about using plant-driven landscape design to create and sustain dynamic garden spaces, filled with beauty and wildlife, to rekindle our relationship to the natural world.
The focus of this talk is how to link home to landscape in a symbiotic loop to build new nature and adapt to the inevitable extremes of the new climate.

General Public $45. — MGAA Members $35. — MGAA Students $25.
For Tickets: eTransfer to: treasurer@mgaab.org
Please include your email address to receive the zoom link. Thank you
This is a zoom presentation.

More Information on our Speakers:
Tony Spencer
Tony Spencer is the Canadian writer, photographer, and planting designer behind The New Perennialist. He is recognized and published internationally in the world of naturalistic garden design. In 2024, Tony won his second top Landscape Design Award of Excellence from the US-based Perennial Plant Association (PPA).
He was also was named PPA Garden Media Promoter of the year along with a 2024 Silver Medal for Social Media from Garden Comm. Day today, Tony is a puckish ringleader for the naturalistic movement with over 100kfollowers on his various social media channels. He travels extensively to gardens and symposiums in his primary role as a communicator, documenter and sharer of ideas for this movement. Tony is currently at work on an upcoming book for Timber Press with a publishing date of summer 2027.
John Acorn
John Acorn teaches in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta. John has been a lifelong naturalist, and he is best known for his television series Acorn, The Nature Nut, in which he blended a broad knowledge of animals with a flair for music and humour. He is also the author of some twenty books on natural history subjects and dozens of research articles and papers.
From cutting edge science to old-fashioned nature study,
John enjoys and promotes a broad appreciation of the natural world around us. He is the recipient of the University of Alberta’s Distinguished Alumni Award, The Entomological Foundation’s Medal of Honor, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, and the Royal Society of Canada’s McNeil Medal for the Public Awareness of Science.
Wilbert Ronald
Jeffries Nurseries Ltd was… “founded by Wilbert and Sharon Ronald in 1982, this family owned wholesale operation has since grown from a small retail garden centre to become one of Manitoba’s largest nurseries. Under our Northern Garden Collection brand, we strive to provide quality plants across Western Canada, Ontario and the northern states of the USA.
As a company we strive to be a leader in plant improvement through research and innovation for Canada and the Northen States area. As a result, over 40 new plants have been introduced to the market. Research has been directed towards overcoming disease problems such as Dutch Elm Disease, Bronze Leaf Disease of aspens, and Black Knot Disease of purple leafed sherries. … We strongly support our own Research and Development programs and those in adjacent provinces and States. We also support the landscape and gardening sector by sponsorship of Communities in Bloom, The Prairie Garden and lending support to numerous allied groups.”

MGAA: 5 Weeks of Peonies in Alberta with Adam Yakabuskie, Parkland Peonies
2026-03-13 18:30 - 19:00 | via ZOOM
5 Weeks of Peonies in Alberta
In this presentation, I’ll take you through the world of peonies as I’ve come to know them — both as a grower and as a gardener who never stops learning. We’ll begin with what a peony is, explore flower forms and classifications, and then look at how it’s possible to achieve a five-week bloom season here in Alberta.
I’ll also touch on foliage value, cut-flower potential, and some of the common pests and diseases we encounter. Along the way, I’ll share what I enjoy most about working with peonies, along with observations from growing them in the field. We’ll finish with time for questions and discussion. Adam Yakabuskie
General Public $15. MGAA Members FREE. Register at treasurer@mgaab.org
Payment to treasurer@mgaab.org treasurer@mgaab.org
Please include your email address for the zoom link.
This is a Zoom presentation
Talk will be available for 7 days after the talk to ticket holders.

MGAA Book Club: Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World, William Alexander
2026-03-15 14:00 - 17:00 | via ZOOM
Join us on Sunday, March 15th, 2-4 p.m. For a Chat on
Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World
Last year we went deep into garden science with Robert Pavlis, Plant Science for Gardeners, this year we delve into the lighter side of gardening with Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World by Williams Alexander.
William takes a humours approach as he weaves garden foibles and plant information into an informative narrative while supplying chuckles along the way., i.e. His misadventures growing tomatoes in The $64 Tomato, a national best seller. Now in his latest book he takes us on a crazy garden adventure following in his tomato obsession to discover all about the #1 fruit in the world.
His latest book is available at Amazon, Thriftbooks and is in Libraries.
About Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World…
“Pity the tomato! Gets no respect. Never has. Lost in the dustbin of history for centuries, accused of being vile and poisonous, subjected to being picked hard-green and gassed, even used as a projectile, the poor tomato has become the avatar for our disaffection with industrial foods — while becoming the most popular vegetable in America (and, in fact, the world). Each summer, tomato festivals crop up across the country; the Heinz ketchup bottle, instantly recognizable, has earned a spot in the Smithsonian; and now the tomato is redefining the very nature of farming, moving from fields into climate-controlled mega-greenhouses the size of New England villages.

Supported by meticulous research and told in a lively, accessible voice, Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World seamlessly weaves travel, history, humor, and a little adventure (and misadventure) to follow the tomato’s trail through history. A fascinating story complete with heroes, con artists, conquistadors, and — no surprise — the Mafia, this book is a mouth-watering, informative, and entertaining guide to the food that has captured our hearts for generations.’
To join/register please email Verne at: vmwgardener@gmail.com
This is a Members Only Event

MGAA: Gardening with Alberta Native Plants with Mathis Natvik
2026-05-06 19:00 | via ZOOM
Gardening with Alberta Native Plants
In this talk Mathis will discuss the design, installation, and long-term management of native plant gardens in Calgary. Southern Alberta ecosystems are full of interesting plants that can be used to create beautiful gardens that support pollinators, birds and other wildlife in your own yard. Topics that Mathis will cover will include: Planning your garden layout and how to create different habitat zones (assessing light conditions, soil preparation, etc.). Plant Selection: Grassland Plants, Badlands Plants, Woodland Plants, Wetland Plants. Planting Design (nice plant combinations that look great).
Attracting Wildlife (creating features for wildlife), Sourcing and establishing plants (local nurseries, plant rescues, propagating your own plants!), Long-term Management (weeding needs, watering approaches, when to cut down old stalks, etc.).

Mathis Natvik is a restoration ecologist with just over 30 years of experience restoring grassland, wetland, and woodland ecosystems. His experience also includes innovative use of native plants in the urban environment including roadside wildflower meadows, green roofs, and rain gardens. Mathis has operated a private consulting firm (Natvik Design Inc) since 2000 and provided services to a variety of clients including municipalities, provincial government, NGOs, and private landowners (see www.roofgarden.ca for examples of his work). He also teaches ecological restoration at the University of Calgary in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape.
General Public: $15.00 — MGAA Members FREE
Register at: Treasurer@mgaab.org
This is a zoom Presentation. Talk will be recorded for ticket holders to access 1 week post-talk.

In-Person Workshop at Little Daisy Flower Farm. August 22nd, 10 a.m. to12 p.m.
2026-08-22 08:00 - 17:00
In-Person Workshop at Little Daisy Flower Farm August 22, 10 a.m. to12 p.m. $50 Per Person
Do you love flowers and flower arranging? Are you interested in learning more about or possibly joining the local flower farming movement? Then come and join us at Little Daisy Flower Farm, northwest of the Calgary city limits, for a morning of flower fun. Brad and Staci of Little Daisy Flower Farm are very successful flower farmers and were featured in the 2025 Spring edition of the AB Garden Magazine.
We will start the morning off with a guided tour of the flower field and two greenhouses. After we will be let loose to pick our own container of flowers and then be given an instructional workshop on the many ways to arrange our flowers and tips to get the most out of their vase life.
As well expect to learn tips on: choosing the best flower varieties, where to purchase specialty seeds, irrigation and cultural techniques, a bit on selling and marketing flowers and so much more.
Afterwards participants are invited back to Elaine Rude’s home for a tour of the garden and well earned refreshments. It’s close to the farm
Cost is $50 for the event and includes your bouquet of fresh cut flowers. Payment can be made by e-transfer to treasurer@mgaab.org. Please remember to put your name in the message when sending payment. As well please cc Elaine at president@mgaab.org when you register. She will be organizing registration and will send the address and directions to the farm.
This is going to be a fun event so don’t delay in registering. Spots are limited.
