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Speaker Series
Each year, Cloverleaf Garden Club hosts talented gardening, horticulture and other experts, promising to engage us, teach us and amuse us. From gardening myths to tips and tricks, from flowers to veggies, we work hard to showcase a variety of topics that will help you with your gardening dreams.
Presentations are on the third Wednesday of the month from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at 1389 Cawthra Rd., Mississauga.
The balance of the 2024 speaker series will be in person only,
Sean James
Good Enough To Eat
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
7:30 pm
Living off YOUR Land
In this presentation Sean will present the basic principles of growing food on your property, creative solutions for city yards, keeping it ornamental, and using edible natives and perennials to be eco-friendly.
Sean owns ‘Sean James Consulting & Design’. Named by Landscape Ontario as 2020 and 2021’s Garden Communicator of the Year, gardening has been Sean James’ passion and profession for almost 40 years. A graduate of Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, a Master Gardener, writer, and teacher, Sean focuses on eco-gardening techniques. He has spoken at events from the Maritimes to Seattle and landscaped from Nova Scotia to California. Sean had the honour of being part of creating the new Ontario Landscape Tree Planting Guide, the Grow-Me-Instead guide, the Ontario Horticultural Apprenticeship Curriculum, the national Red Seal Occupational Standard, and the Master Gardeners Reference Manual. He has chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee for Landscape Ontario and the Environmental Committee for the Perennial Plant Association” and fills in for Paul Zammit occasionally on CBC’s ‘The Gardening Show’.”
Tony Spencer
Wildscaping: Explorations in Naturalistic Planting Design
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
7:30 pm
Wildscaping 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. Join writer and planting designer Tony Spencer for an encounter with some of the international designers, innovations, issues, and landscapes leading the way – along with a look at his own experimental design projects – to inspire garden-making with a sense of purpose on the wild side.
Sean owns ‘Sean James Consulting & Design’. Named by Landscape Ontario as 2020 and 2021’s Garden Communicator of the Year, gardening has been Sean James’ passion and profession for almost 40 years. A graduate of Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, a Master Gardener, writer, and teacher, Sean focuses on eco-gardening techniques. He has spoken at events from the Maritimes to Seattle and landscaped from Nova Scotia to California. Sean had the honour of being part of creating the new Ontario Landscape Tree Planting Guide, the Grow-Me-Instead guide, the Ontario Horticultural Apprenticeship Curriculum, the national Red Seal Occupational Standard, and the Master Gardeners Reference Manual. He has chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee for Landscape Ontario and the Environmental Committee for the Perennial Plant Association” and fills in for Paul Zammit occasionally on CBC’s ‘The Gardening Show’.”
Upcoming Speakers
Marie Decker
How to Grow and Care for Roses
Wednesday, June 17, 2024
7:30 pm
Marie Decker will introduce us to rose terminology and look at some of the best roses we can choose based on colour, fragrance and type of rose, Included in the presentation will be rose culture, planting, growing, and pruning, along with insect pests, diseases and lots of pictures of beautiful roses..
Marie Decker is an avid flower and vegetable gardener, a member of the Oakville Horticultural Society, Burlington
Horticultural Society, Hamilton and Burlington Rose Society,
Canadian Rose Society, American Rose Society, District
Six of the Ontario Horticultural Association, and past member of the Cloverleaf Garden Club.
Marie is an Accredited Garden Clubs of Ontario/Royal Botanical Gardens judge of both horticulture and design, a Certified Ontario Horticultural Association judge of both horticulture and design and is currently completing accreditation as a Canadian Rose Society Rose Judge. Marie has entered and won in both horticulture and design at local flower shows, district flowers shows, and shows such as Canada Blooms, Successful Gardening, Brantford Flower Show, and Ontario Horticultural Association convention Flower shows and virtually in the South African Floral Union Flower Shows and Garden Clubs of Toronto Re-connections show.
Marie is a speaker addressing local and further afield garden clubs, has addresses the OHA Convention on Youth Leadership, and has done an OHA virtual judges’ update and several other talks on line. Topics cover many horticultural and design topics.
Paul Zammit
Rethinking Beauty: Inspiring Gardeners in a Changing World
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
This presentation will challenge us to ask, and maybe answer the questions: do you ever wonder how and why you garden? Are we just striving for something that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye? With 30 plus years of experience in the horticulture industry, Paul now finds himself questioning some traditional gardening practices as we face both climatic and biodiversity challenges. He believes we must have a closer look at the important role both private and public gardens play beyond their property lines.
Dr. David Galbraith
Dreamers, Schemers and Builders:
An Intro to the History of Royal Botanical Gardens
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Royal Botanical Gardens is both Canada’s largest botanical garden and a group of important natural areas totalling over 1,000 ha. Its origins are a complex and fascinating story with roots in plans to beautify Hamilton in the early 20th Century. Thomas Baker McQuesten, a Hamilton politician and lawyer, developed the concept for a botanical garden of national significance in Hamilton after visiting RBG Kew and RBG Edinburgh in 1924. The city’s Board of Park Management promoted the idea, acquiring the first land in 1927. By 1934 Hamilton had more land in parks than any other city in Canada; much of it would later become RBG.
Maureen Hulbert
Reno Your Garden
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Faced with an overgrown garden and don't know where to start? Been gardening for years and your garden needs rejuvenating? Learn a straightforward approach to tackling that garden space you need to renovate. Maureen will show you a step-by-step method that covers everything that might be lurking in the garden, from vines and overgrown shrubs, to weeds and grass growing where it shouldn't.
Past Speakers
Charlie Dobbin
How to Garden Better
in a Changing Climate
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Larry Hodgson
Garden Myths
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Helen Battersby
Garden of Regrets
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Jill Bishop
Backyard Urban Farming
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Darryl Cheng
An Engineer's Approach to Houseplant Care
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Lorraine Roberts
Spectacular Plant Combinations
for the Perennials Garden
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Jeanne McRight
Design Your Own Pollinator Garden
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Learn all the best ways to provide food and shelter for native pollinators, while delighting your family and neighbours with textures, shapes and colours. You will learn to assess site conditions and create a beautiful garden design that meets pollinator, plant and your own needs. The challenges of tough sites such as boulevards and balconies will be addressed.
Cheyenne Sundance
Sundance Harvest and Centering
Equity in Agriculture
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
In this workshop, Cheyenne Sundance will talk about how she started Sundance Harvest- a 1.5 acre diversified cut flower and vegetable farm that focuses on ecological growing in harmony with the existing ecosystem around and inside the farm. She will speak about her not-profit that takes place at the farm, Growing in the Margins, and the future she envisions for agriculture and how to get there.
Paloma Plant
Reflecting on Bird Window Collisions
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Over 1 billion birds die each year across North America from colliding with glass surfaces. Contrary to popular belief, it's not lights and tall buildings where most birds die. Are your windows a pain in the glass? Learn why this happens and how to prevent it with simple and affordable solutions.
Niki Jabbour
Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a productive, weather-resistant, pest-free vegetable garden
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Anna Leggatt
The Basics of Pruning: Keeping plants in order
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Robert Pavlis
Gardening Tricks
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Lorraine Johnson
Rogue Gardens and the Weed Police
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Sean Smith
Hot Composting
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Rav Singh
Organic Vegetable Gardening
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Rob & Chris Croley
Our Journey in Urban Homesteading
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Have you ever dreamed of having a more self-reliant lifestyle and attitude? Have you ever wondered if this is even possible in an urban environment? Join our guest speakers, Rob and Chris Croley, who will share their experiences in urban homesteading, the steps most people take on their journey, and learn what it takes to live a homesteader’s lifestyle.
Pat Crocker
Six Essential Herbs for the Culinary Herb Garden:
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
So many helping, healing plants...so little thyme! Pat takes you through the essential needs of herbs for success in growing them and she shares tips, insights, and exceptional qualities of six of her favourite culinary herbs. Join Pat as she shares over 4 decades of loving, caring for, photographing and cooking with the humble yet oh, so helpful species.
Darren Heimbecker
Whistling Gardens Then and Now
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Join Darren as he will discuss the past 10 years (2012-22) of operation of the Whistling Gardens focusing on perennials and woody plants that have been a success or others that went the way of the compost pile.
Anna Leggatt
Growing Clematis
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Back by popular demand, Anna Leggatt will discuss Clematis - the Queen of Flowers. The presentation will cover different groups of Clematis, planting, growing, pruning and propagation.
Tena Van Andel
Garden Disasters – Prepare, Survive, Thrive
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Gardening is fraught with the potential for disaster. Some are natural – Japanese beetles, squirrels, and weather. Some are manmade – wrong plants in the wrong place, monocultures, and an intolerance for anything other than the perfect garden. Yet, with a little knowledge we can learn to prepare for these disasters, survive and yes, even thrive.
Ursula Eley
Make & Take Christmas Centrepiece
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Hands-on workshop with award-winning floral design & horticultural judge Ursula Eley where members created their own beautiful Christmas themed centrepiece with fresh greens and floral accents.
Collin Pine
Book Talk : The Garden Next Door
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Join children's book author Collin Pine as he digs into the germination story of The Garden Next Door, shares about the collaborative process of creating an award-winning book, and talks about how the power of storytelling can be used to ignite children’s love for local flora and fauna.
Helen Battersby
The Gardens of Ireland
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Enjoy an eyeful of ideas with a side order of history in this inspiring armchair garden visit to the glorious Emerald Isle. From a Neolithic farm site on the scenic west coast to Victorian garden estates and the contemporary creations of siblings Jimi and June Blake, you’ll soon want to put Ireland on your bucket list.
Catherine McGill
The Ground Gets Lower
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
7:30 pm
"Ground gets Lower” Advice for all gardeners on how to stay gardening longer and maybe learn some new tricks on the way.
Aging, round, humour in a nutshell I was a chef for over 20 years, Blacksmith, Horse trainer, Riding instructor but the ones you want to know is my own Garden maintenance business for way too long, 40+ years and my clients are in majority, seniors,