Wednesday, November 20, 2024
7:30 pm

Kicking off the festive season, Michael Erdman, an RBG and Garden Club of Ontario certified floral judge, will be presenting us with a demonstration of creating Christmas themed outdoor decorations,  Michael, who is himself an award winning floral designer (Canada Blooms, the CNE, and the Garden Clubs of Ontario Triennial Shows), will show us how to make a festive holiday urn and a decorative door swag with a special emphasis on using foraged greenery and natural materials from your garden. 

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 Michael Erdman developed his keen interest in gardening and horticulture when he bought his first house in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood in the late 80’s. Although his grandfathers in Waterloo had tutored him as a child in the culture of roses and growing vegetables, there was a long interlude between opportunities to get his hands dirty. With a blank slate of a yard at his new house and being a researcher by trade, Michael threw himself into learning about perennials, roses, shrubs and within a couple of years had no grass left in his yard. Without his knowledge, a friend entered him in a couple of garden contests, and in two years his garden won first prizes in the Riverdale ward and White Rose Nursery’s city-wide garden contest. 

Moving to the Beach neighbourhood in the ‘90’s for more arable land, Michael co-authored books on perennial gardening and indoor gardening, and eventually became president of the Beach Garden Society. His Beach garden has been featured in local summer garden tours, and in numerous magazines, newspapers and TV programs. He tends hundreds of houseplants, including camellias and orchids. Always looking for new challenges, he completed the RBG and Garden Clubs of Ontario horticultural and floral design judging certification courses. Michael’s floral designs have won many awards at major juried shows such as Canada Blooms, the CNE, and the Garden   up the Greater Toronto Bulb Society. ​