Horticulture Centre of the Pacific

Ivy and daphne and broom, oh my!
2023-03-11 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Marian McCoy
Interested in learning more about invasive alien plants and how to get rid of them from your garden and beyond? Come join Marian McCoy in a fun and interactive afternoon that digs into the what, why, and how of common invasive alien plants in our region. Learn about ivy, daphne, broom, gorse, knotweeds, blackberry, poison hemlock and other suspects, as well as some suitable native alternatives. Please be prepared to take your own notes. Marian McCoy is an ecologist with more than 17 years in the environmental management sector, including invasive plant management and ecological restoration.
HCP Members $30/Non-Members $40
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Instructor Bio: Marian McCoy
Marian McCoy is an ecologist with more than 17 years in the environmental management sector, including invasive plant management and ecological restoration. Marian has been involved with the HCP as a volunteer in the Conservation Park since 2005, and as an occasional sessional instructor at the Pacific Horticulture College since 2012. She still enjoys pulling daphne and cutting blackberry now and then.

Fairy Garden Furnishings
2023-03-12 10:00 - 11:30
Making your own fairy garden furnishings can be fun and easy with a little guidance. In this class we will take a walk together to forage natural materials that can be made into fun and functional furnishings for existing and future fairy gardens. We will explore doors, gates, transitions and theme related furnishings. Participants will also have access to supplies to make featured items and will be encouraged to source out their own special materials in nature going forward. Imagination is a wonderful tool as we learn to create items for these playful and whimsical gardens!
Date: Sunday, March 12, 2023
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Age: 7-12 years
Fee: $30/participant
Registration: Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Twill Woven Cat's Head Basket Workshop
2023-03-16 09:30 - 16:30
WITH JOAN CARRIGAN
The “Cat's Head” basket has a distinctive elegant shape. It starts with a square base and moves to a round form, which sits on four-pointed base corners. This is a traditional Shaker style basket with many variations on its shape and size and makes a beautiful storage basket. This version has a continuous twill pattern adding to its elegance. The size is approximately 11” wide x 8” high. Suitable for beginner and intermediate.
Tools list: an old towel, measuring tape, 12” ruler, sharp scissors (preferably with a shorter blade) approx. 12 clothes pegs, knife for carving, spray bottle.
HCP Members $120
Non Members $140
REGISTER ONLINE
or call 250 479 6162

Basketry Classes with Joan Carrigan
Joan Carrigan is a full time basketmaker and basketry teacher living on Salt Spring Island, BC. Over the past 25 years, her passion for baskets has led her to study, travel and explore many different techniques and materials within the medium. Joan studied Fine Art and Art History at the University of Guelph and her love of history prompted her research in traditional techniques. Her background in fine art has encouraged her enthusiasm for the sculptural and creative potentials that the medium offers. Her inspiration comes from the plant materials she respectfully harvests from nature. Joan's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Joan teaches extensively both close to home and in Europe and finds this to be a very rewarding aspect of her career.

Introduction to Fruit Trees Workshop
2023-03-19 13:00 - 16:00
with Gordon Mackay
This course participants will be introduced to the pruning fundamentals and concepts for fruit trees, including apple, pear and the stone fruits. We will look at summer versus winter pruning and pruning old, mature trees versus young newly established trees.
Tree planting and early training will be covered along with various methods of growing fruit trees e.g. tall spindle, dwarf pyramid, ufo etc. and also the choice of tree rootstocks. These terms will be explained along with many more.
There will be ample opportunity to ask questions in this class and participants will have an opportunity to spend some time in the garden looking at fruit trees and viewing demonstrations of the various pruning cuts recommended for fruit trees.
HCP Members $40/Non-Members $50
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Instructor Bio: Gordon Mackay
Gordon grew up in the city of Glasgow, often called the ‘dear green place'. Inspired by his father at an early age to pursue horticulture, he was fortunate enough to be able to follow in his footsteps and completed the 2 year Diploma program at Threave School of Gardening in southwest Scotland. It was at Threave that his love and deep appreciation for all things plant related was fully realized. Working under the head gardener and plantsman Magnus Ramsay, it was soon to become apparent that pruning trees and shrubs was going to play a large part of this obsession. Further training was sought on the 3 year Diploma program at Pershore College of Horticulture in England. Since emigrating to Canada in 1994, Gordon had developed and established his own arboriculture business specializing in fruit tree pruning and tree care. He works part-time at a local retail garden centre; this somewhat helps to satisfy his plant obsession! He is also an instructor here at the Pacific Horticulture College. Gordon is also an avid beekeeper.

Spring Break Camp - Week 1
2023-03-20 09:00 - 16:00
Date: March 20-24, 2023
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Age: 5 - 12 years (school age)
Fee: $185
Registration: ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Pruning For Beginners Series
2023-03-22 18:00 - 21:00
with Adam Miller
3-part series: Mar 22, 29 - 6:00pm - 9:00pm & Apr 8th - 9:00am - 12:00pm
Learn the basics of pruning with Adam Miller, a Red Seal Certified Horticulturist and pruning instructor at the Pacific Horticulture College. In this course you will learn not only how, but why (and if) pruning should be done. Through in-class lecture, group work, instructor demonstration and hands-on work you'll gain confidence in your ability to tackle basic pruning tasks in your garden.
2 classroom sessions and 1 hands-on class
HCP Members $135/Non-Members $155
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio: Adam Miller
Adam has run his own gardening company since 2013 after a career in equipment sales and finance. He has been teaching at the Pacific Horticulture College for several years and completed his Horticulture Red Seal Certification in 2018. He's driven by a desire to 'save the planet one garden at a time' by using ecological gardening practices and is a passionate horticulturist.

Basket Weaving with Rush and Soft Materials Workshop
2023-03-25 09:30 - 16:00
NOTE: MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR IN PERSON WORKSHOPS WITH JOAN CARRIGAN.
We will explore weaving baskets with soft materials such as rush, sedge and flower
leaves such as iris and daylily leaves. These materials are lovely to weave with and
offer the opportunity to explore a variety of twining patterns. We will focus on control of shaping this basket without the use of a mold. The ancient skill of making cordage will also be explored. Discussion will cover the identification of useful plants you might find in the garden, sustainable harvest practices and preparation for weaving.
Tools to bring: scissors, ruler, cotton string, spray bottle, an old towel.
Fees: HCP Members $120/Non-Members $140

REGISTER ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio: Joan Carrigan
Joan Carrigan is a full time basketmaker and basketry teacher living on Salt Spring Island, BC. Over the past 25 years, her passion for baskets has led her to study, travel and explore many different techniques and materials within the medium. Joan studied Fine Art and Art History at the University of Guelph and her love of history prompted her research in traditional techniques. Her background in fine art has encouraged her enthusiasm for the sculptural and creative potentials that the medium offers. Her inspiration comes from the plant materials she respectfully harvests from nature. Joan's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Joan teaches extensively both close to home and in Europe and finds this to be a very rewarding aspect of her career.

If you would like to receive email updates when new basketry classes with Joan open for registration, please sign up to be on our Basketry Enthusiast List below:
Basketry Enthusiast List

Spring Break Camp - Week 2
2023-03-27 09:00 - 16:00
Date: March 27-31, 2023
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Age: 5 - 12 years (school age)
Fee: $185
Registeration: ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Watercolor Meditations on Place: Cedar
2023-03-29 18:00 - 19:30
with Marisa Pahl
Join us for an evening of meditative painting, inspired by our neighbor the Cedar tree. Let's practice the art of noticing and explore painting as a way to tune into the present moment. This live online workshop offers guided watercolor painting prompts and an introduction to Cedar through an artist's lens.
Marisa Pahl is an artist living in East Vancouver whose work is grounded in human relationships with place. This workshop is part of a year-long series, where each month a different coastal tree of the Salish Sea is featured.
Participant Fee: $38
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162.
Participants will have the opportunity to:

Explore some short mark-making + color mixing prompts
Listen to a nature-based poetry reading
Look at some visual inspiration of the Cedar tree
Be introduced briefly to the Cedar tree through an artist + plant enthusiast's lens
Participate in one longer guided meditative painting prompt
Be provided with some reflection questions relating to the tree
Be invited to continue learning about the Cedar tree directly from host nations here in Coast Salish territory – through recommendations of poetry, books, films, websites etc by local Indigenous authors.

What to bring:

watercolor paints, any kind
brushes

2-3 sizes, at least one pointy tip
I use a number 6 round for most demos

water container

a heavy vessel like glass or ceramic is nice for this as it won't tip over as easily as plastic

tissue or rag
1-2 pieces of scrap paper or printer paper (bigger the better)
2-3 pieces of paper (5x7 or bigger if you like)

Any sketchbook or mixed media paper that is slightly heavier than printer paper will do
If you have watercolor paper, use it for this.
If you aren't familiar with watercolor paper and you'd like to get some, I recommend 140 lb CP (any brand.)

Optional:

Black fine tipped permanent marker like a Sharpie
Washi tape

How to Prepare:

You'll need a flat surface like a table or the floor. If you're working on your lap, you might want to use a book or other hard surface.
Make sure you have a light source that feels good for your eyes, that allows you to see the paper.
Find a spot for your computer or device that won't get in the way of your painting area, where you can see comfortably.
Pour yourself a cup of tea or ice water.
Extras: slippers, a blanket, a cushion to sit on, a candle, a playlist you like
Music is not provided so feel free to have your own cued up!

The Art of Bonsai Series
2023-04-02 13:00 - 16:00
with Mark Paterson
Sundays - 1:00pm - 4:00pm, April 2, May 7 & September 17
In this 3 part course you will learn all about bonsai! In the first session we explore what is unique about bonsai, and several ways to make bonsai. In the second class we will meet your new bonsai friend. We will design and plan the path your bonsai will take for best results, as well as learn several exotic bonsai techniques. In the final class we will implement the design portion of your plan, sending you home with a delightful looking bonsai. Note - the plant does not go home with you until the 3rd class.
HCP Members $135/Non-Members $155
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Instructor Bio: Mark Paterson
Mark Paterson is currently the bonsai artist at Royal Roads University. Mark has been practicing and teaching bonsai for 20 years. He has been a student of several prominent bonsai artists including David deGroot. Mark has worked in important positions in nearly all public bonsai in Victoria including: the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the collection here at the Horticultural Center of the Pacific, the collection at Royal Roads University, the Vancouver Island Bonsai Society, and Urban Oasis Bonsai

Garden Nature Academy - Spring 2023
2023-04-06 09:00 - 11:30
The Garden Nature Academy is a half day program on Thursday's. The outdoors offers safe and seasonal opportunities for your preschooler to explore through play, games, songs, and activities!
These outdoor sessions will include time in our vegetable garden, as well as numerous pathways, and native plant forest areas to explore. The small group sizes and our experienced nature educators help to create a nurturing and engaging environment for young children to learn, play and grow!
Date: Thursday's, April 6 - June 15, 2023 (No class April 27)
Time: 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Age: 3 - 6 years
Fee: $275/ 11 weeks
Registration: Register HERE or call 250 479 6162

HCP Kids Garden Club
2023-04-08 09:30 - 11:00
Do you know a child or youth who loves the outdoors and thrives in the garden? Our HCP Kids Garden provides many opportunities for land-based engagement activities, including seed starting and propagation, planting, garden maintenance, pollinator habitats, and so much more. Each weekly class will have us in this amazing teaching garden where we grow our own food crops. Hope you can join us with your pre-k learner or drop-off (or join) your school age child. There are lots of takeaways, including seeds, transplants and more! Please pack your child's own garden gloves if you have some and bring along a water bottle (and snack if needed:)
Date: Saturday's, April 8 - June 3, 2023 (No class April 29)
Time: 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Age: 3 - 14 years
Fee: $120/ 9 weeks
Registration: Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Pretty in Pink - Dot Madala Painting Workshop
2023-04-15 10:00 - 11:30
with Susan Nelson
In this class participants will learn the basics of dot mandala painting. You will be painting on a smooth molded four inch stone. You will learn how to set up the pattern with step by step instructions as you paint along with Susan. This class is perfect for beginners as Susan will share many tips and tricks along the way.
Bring an apron and your glasses if you need them.
HCP Members $45/Non-Members $50
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio:
Susan Nelson was born and raised in Victoria by two well known artists. She believes this is where she acquired the love of painting and other forms of art.
It was not until 2017 that she began to pursue dot mandala painting as a form of pain management. Dotting has been very therapeutic for her as it takes her mind off what is going on in body. She has learned to slow down and enjoy the process. Susan has taken courses through Liona Hotta, a well known artist in Spain as other Mandala artists locally. Susan is excited to share this amazing form of art with you and is looking forward to a fun day with everyone!

Fairy Gardens Spring 2023
2023-04-15 13:30 - 15:00
Fairy Garden Workshop
Join us for some fun and creative time as we enter the world of fairy garden making! Your child will be introduced to garden design as we visit various gardens looking for inspiration, collecting items in nature to create furnishings with. and followed by a hands-on lesson to make their own garden to take home. These miniature gardens offer hours of play potential for children of all ages. Plant care, planting techniques, and furnishing making will all be featured. Consider signing up with your child and making one of your own! For ages 4 and up (6 and under must be accompanied by an adult)
April 2023 - Mushroom Hollow

Time: 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Fee: $30 for 1 garden/ $55 for 2 gardens
Register: Here or Call 250-479-6162

Miniatures in Watercolour Workshop with Richard Wong
2023-04-16 13:00 - 16:00
Join Richard Wong in an all new miniatures workshop. Richard usually teaches only one of these classes annually. However, due to the popularity of the format and student requests, he will teach a miniatures class of about 3-4 generic subjects that the student can use as greeting cards for all occasions throughout the year.
Class is suitable for all levels including beginners. Register early for your seat as Richard's classes usually sell out.
Tuition: $80 (no supplies); $90 (with supplies)
Registration: REGISTER ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Sign up HERE to receive updates on Richard's classes
Richard Wong, Artist Statement & Biography
“How I Became A Wildlife Artist”

This great adventure of mine started fairly innocently.
I spent a glorious 25 years with the provincial government of British Columbia working in finance and policy (Ministry of Environment). During that time, I came to appreciate our wildlife and natural environment, all so delicately balanced! Then it came time to retire. So I did.
My life as a wildlife artist started soon thereafter. With time on my hands, and a Christmas gift of art supplies (from my wonderful spouse), I enrolled in art classes (2010). First it was traditional watercolor classes. Then it was Chinese brush lessons. I soon discovered Japanese art paper, and my career (second) as a professional wildlife artist began. Learning to paint, especially watercolor, allows me to capture the very essence of wildlife and nature like no other medium. Much of our wildlife is affected to the point where we are losing them rapidly. So I do what I can to spread this message of awareness: to paint and capture our wildlife in beautiful, vibrant watercolors; to teach others how to do this; and along the way, to engage and connect people and communities through my love of art. This love has taken me to Australia and the United States, where I've taught, presented and shown my work (Watercolor on Japanese Art Paper). I now paint (professionally), teach and sell from my lovely home base in Victoria, BC, Canada.
Wishing everyone a very lovely journey as we embark on yet another wildlife/art adventure full of wonder, excitement and discovery!
Sincerely,
Richard Wong
Professional Wildlife Artist
Watercolor on Japanese Art Paper

Rustic Building - Small Table Workshop with Andrew Kent
2023-04-19 09:00 - 15:00
If you have attended a Willow Chair Workshop with Andrew Kent and are keen to try another project, this is the workshop for you. Anyone interested in exploring rustic building while making something functional and useful would enjoy this opportunity. In one day, participants build one Cedar top tripod table and one small or medium sized Slate top table with rustic builder Andrew Kent. All tools and materials provided.
HCP Members $200 / Non-Members $230
Register ONLINE or by calling 250 479 6162
Cancellations:
Note that this class required a minimum of 3 registrants in order to run. If the minimum is not met, the class will be canceled or postponed. Please contact communityed@hcp.ca if you would like to cancel your registration. Note that registrations less than one week prior to the class date may not be eligible for a refund if registration minimums are not met.

Instructor Bio: Andrew Kent
The Willow Way's roots go back all the way to 1993 when I made my first willow chair in a workshop with Kate Lawes. Over the next five years, Kate and I opened and ran a store in downtown Nanaimo, attended many large and small shows, and hosted numerous willow furniture workshops. Many of the designs I use are traditional, coming from Kentucky by way of Pemberton, BC. Some are then updated with design ideas suggested by the materials themselves.
I grew up on a rural island and have always felt at home in the woods. A keen mountain biker, I am passionate about the outdoors and Vancouver Island. Many of my days are spent hunting for materials, foraging local species of willow and alder, and finding the best shoots and whips for each piece, which directs the creative construction.
From forest to finished product, the entire willow furniture process is an adventure and ever-evolving, which to me is the real beauty of this work. Most of the materials are natural and not milled, which means not one project is the same and it's always a new experience.
I think people respond to my work because it is more than just your average rustic furniture – it is handmade with materials that are otherwise not utilized. My passion for nature and for the creative process comes through in each piece.
Andrew Kent

Edible & Medicinal Herbs for the Home Herbalist - Spring Workshop
2023-04-23 09:00 - 12:00
Are you interested in herbalism? Curious about the power of plants and how to utilize them? Come join Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Herbalist Racheal Schnarr for an engaging session as we explore the traditional uses of medicinal and edible spring plants. This class offers educational, practical, and creative components as we learn about, taste and create with spring herbs. You will leave with your own custom spring herbal tea blend as well as the knowledge, recipes and resources to practice herbalism in your own kitchen. This class is suitable for beginners.
HCP Members $45/Non-Members $55
REGISTER ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Instructor Bio: Racheal Schnarr
Racheal Schnarr is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.) and Herbalist who studied at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and Pacific Rim College.
In addition to working as an R.H.N., Racheal operates a small botanical dispensary using herbs grown exclusively in her garden. She lives her passion of “connecting people with plants” both in her private business as well at Pacific Horticulture College as the College Administrator.
Through years of practicing clinical nutrition at multidisciplinary clinics as well as in her own private practice, she tapped into her passion for sharing the power of holistic nutrition and herbal medicine with her clients. Racheal's practice and classes are fun, hands-on, empowering, education based and are led in a supportive and open environment. Developing a deep relationship with plants, growing herbal medicine, ethical harvesting, food growing, food justice and living in reciprocity with the land on which we grow, forage, and learn are pillars in Racheal's practice and everyday life. She enjoys getting fresh air and her hands dirty when in her home garden, foraging the wild with her dog Josie, and occasionally working for her sister, a Landscape Horticulturist.

Companion Planting Workshop
2023-04-23 13:00 - 15:30
Have you ever wondered if your veggie garden has cliques? Who are best friends and who are arch nemeses? Well that is where companion planting comes in! In this class you will learn which plants benefit each other, what ways they do so, and what plants negatively affect others' growth. This class will help you get the most out of your garden, while encouraging biodiversity and sustainability practices.
Enjoy a fun and engaging class with Ryan Barton, PHC graduate and landscaper.
HCP Members $30/Non-Members $40
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Instructor Bio: Ryan Barton
Ryan is a PHC Graduate (2018) and has been running his own landscape maintenance business since. He has a deep passion for food growing and a hoard of seed packets to prove it. Ryan believes folks should be in touch with nature around them, and the beauty that it has to provide.

Watercolor Meditations on Place: Bitter Cherry
2023-04-26 18:00 - 19:30
with Marisa Pahl
Join us for an evening of meditative painting, inspired by the Bitter Cherry Tree. Let's practice the art of noticing and explore painting as a way to tune into the present moment. This live online workshop offers guided watercolor painting prompts and an introduction to Cedar through an artist's lens.
Marisa Pahl is an artist living in East Vancouver whose work is grounded in human relationships with place. This workshop is part of a year-long series, where each month a different coastal tree of the Salish Sea is featured.
Participant Fee: $38
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162.
Participants will have the opportunity to:

Explore some short mark-making + color mixing prompts
Listen to a nature-based poetry reading
Look at some visual inspiration of the Cedar tree
Be introduced briefly to the Cedar tree through an artist + plant enthusiast's lens
Participate in one longer guided meditative painting prompt
Be provided with some reflection questions relating to the tree
Be invited to continue learning about the Cedar tree directly from host nations here in Coast Salish territory – through recommendations of poetry, books, films, websites etc by local Indigenous authors.

What to bring:

watercolor paints, any kind
brushes

2-3 sizes, at least one pointy tip
I use a number 6 round for most demos

water container

a heavy vessel like glass or ceramic is nice for this as it won't tip over as easily as plastic

tissue or rag
1-2 pieces of scrap paper or printer paper (bigger the better)
2-3 pieces of paper (5x7 or bigger if you like)

Any sketchbook or mixed media paper that is slightly heavier than printer paper will do
If you have watercolor paper, use it for this.
If you aren't familiar with watercolor paper and you'd like to get some, I recommend 140 lb CP (any brand.)

Optional:

Black fine tipped permanent marker like a Sharpie
Washi tape

How to Prepare:

You'll need a flat surface like a table or the floor. If you're working on your lap, you might want to use a book or other hard surface.
Make sure you have a light source that feels good for your eyes, that allows you to see the paper.
Find a spot for your computer or device that won't get in the way of your painting area, where you can see comfortably.
Pour yourself a cup of tea or ice water.
Extras: slippers, a blanket, a cushion to sit on, a candle, a playlist you like
Music is not provided so feel free to have your own cued up!

Spring Plant Sale
2023-04-29 09:00 - 16:00
Click for the AVAILIBILITY LIST
Admission to the gardens is always free during plant sales, so please take the time to walk around and explore.
Depending on the weather, some plants may not be ready to sell during our spring sale, but not to worry our sale area is always open (during garden hours) so check back often as stock gets added weekly.
Victoria Master Gardeners, HCP staff, volunteers and PHC students are on site as well to answer your gardening questions and help you choose the right plant for your garden.
If you don't see a plant that you are looking for just ask as we may have it in our polyhouses.
As with all sales, come early for best selection.
All proceeds go back into the gardens, so thank you for your support!

Diagonal Plaited Baskets with Willow Bark Workshop
2023-05-05 09:30 - 16:00
NOTE: MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR IN PERSON WORKSHOPS WITH JOAN CARRIGAN.
In this workshop, participants will explore two types of diagonal plaiting and weave both a square basket and a flat pouch. Diagonal Plaiting is super fun to weave and always feels like you are performing a magic trick. We will be using willow bark for each project. Discussion and demonstration will cover how to grow willow and how to harvest and prepare the bark in the springtime.
Tools: sharp scissors, 12” ruler, an old towel, spray bottle, household string.
HCP Members $120 / Non-Members $140

REGISTER ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio: Joan Carrigan
Joan Carrigan is a full time basketmaker and basketry teacher living on Salt Spring Island, BC. Over the past 25 years, her passion for baskets has led her to study, travel and explore many different techniques and materials within the medium. Joan studied Fine Art and Art History at the University of Guelph and her love of history prompted her research in traditional techniques. Her background in fine art has encouraged her enthusiasm for the sculptural and creative potentials that the medium offers. Her inspiration comes from the plant materials she respectfully harvests from nature. Joan's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Joan teaches extensively both close to home and in Europe and finds this to be a very rewarding aspect of her career.

If you would like to receive email updates when new basketry classes with Joan open for registration, please sign up to be on our Basketry Enthusiast List below:
Basketry Enthusiast List

Willow Bark Pouches and Vases Workshop
2023-05-06 10:00 - 15:00
NOTE: MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR IN PERSON WORKSHOPS WITH JOAN CARRIGAN.
Participants will be working with sheets of bark to form, stitch and bind it into pouches and vases. This is a creative workshop that uses and highlights the beauty of willow bark – Joan's Carrigan's favourite basket material. Come with an open mind and creative spirit. Sample baskets will be on hand for inspiration. Each piece will be unique and offers an opportunity for creative exploration.
Tools: sharp scissors, an old towel, a small glass vase or bottle, spray bottle.
HCP Members $120 / Non-Members $140

REGISTER ONLINE or call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio: Joan Carrigan
Joan Carrigan is a full time basketmaker and basketry teacher living on Salt Spring Island, BC. Over the past 25 years, her passion for baskets has led her to study, travel and explore many different techniques and materials within the medium. Joan studied Fine Art and Art History at the University of Guelph and her love of history prompted her research in traditional techniques. Her background in fine art has encouraged her enthusiasm for the sculptural and creative potentials that the medium offers. Her inspiration comes from the plant materials she respectfully harvests from nature. Joan's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Joan teaches extensively both close to home and in Europe and finds this to be a very rewarding aspect of her career.

If you would like to receive email updates when new basketry classes with Joan open for registration, please sign up to be on our Basketry Enthusiast List below:
Basketry Enthusiast List

Stories in the Garden
2023-05-09 11:00
Imagine a gentle nature walk with your child to calm and inspire you both! This rain or shine outdoor program on our endless pathways provides us with many social and nature connections. This is followed by a story time that encourages the development of listening skills and small group interactions. Plan to bring along your favourite story blanket and snack to enjoy during the story with your child and invite a friend. Pre-registration is required to determine if this program will run.

Dates: Tuesdays, May 9, 16, 23, 30 & June 6, 13, 2023
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 am
Age: 3 - 6
Fee: $75.00/6 sessions (for 1 or more children) or $60.00 for Family Memberships

Register: HERE or call 250 479 6162

Fairy Gardens Spring 2023
2023-05-13 13:30 - 15:00
Fairy Garden Workshop
Join us for some fun and creative time as we enter the world of fairy garden making! Your child will be introduced to garden design as we visit various gardens looking for inspiration, collecting items in nature to create furnishings with. and followed by a hands-on lesson to make their own garden to take home. These miniature gardens offer hours of play potential for children of all ages. Plant care, planting techniques, and furnishing making will all be featured. Consider signing up with your child and making one of your own! For ages 4 and up (6 and under must be accompanied by an adult)

Date: May 13 - Blossom Lane
Time: 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Fee: $30 for 1 garden/ $55 for 2 gardens
Register: Here or Call 250-479-6162

Garden Creatures - May 2023
2023-05-17 09:30 - 11:30
Join us for a fun morning in the gardens! Exploring the various species of creatures that make up our gardens, wetlands and forests provides us with many lessons. Each day we will deepen our understanding of these creatures through observations, hands-on activities and garden explorations. Gaining a better understanding of how every garden creature is essential to their habit allows us to better understand how we can support them. Ages: 5 - 14 yrs

Dates: May 17, 24 & 31
Time: 9:30 to 11:30 am
Fee: $75.00
Register: online or call 250-479-6162

Pansies - Watercolour on Canvas with Richard Wong
2023-05-18 13:00 - 16:00
New & Exciting! Capture the brilliance of watercolour on canvas (instead of traditional watercolour paper). Learn, step-by-step how to create a vibrant watercolour with wildlife artist Richard Wong. Richard will guide you through painting these beautiful Spring Pansies on a 6x6" canvas. This is a great class to take with a friend and beginners are welcome.
$90 Participant Fee which includes supplies
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Richard Wong, Artist Statement & Biography
“How I Became A Wildlife Artist”

This great adventure of mine started fairly innocently.
I spent a glorious 25 years with the provincial government of British Columbia working in finance and policy (Ministry of Environment). During that time, I came to appreciate our wildlife and natural environment, all so delicately balanced! Then it came time to retire. So I did.
My life as a wildlife artist started soon thereafter. With time on my hands, and a Christmas gift of art supplies (from my wonderful spouse), I enrolled in art classes (2010). First it was traditional watercolor classes. Then it was Chinese brush lessons. I soon discovered Japanese art paper, and my career (second) as a professional wildlife artist began. Learning to paint, especially watercolor, allows me to capture the very essence of wildlife and nature like no other medium. Much of our wildlife is affected to the point where we are losing them rapidly. So I do what I can to spread this message of awareness: to paint and capture our wildlife in beautiful, vibrant watercolors; to teach others how to do this; and along the way, to engage and connect people and communities through my love of art. This love has taken me to Australia and the United States, where I've taught, presented and shown my work (Watercolor on Japanese Art Paper). I now paint (professionally), teach and sell from my lovely home base in Victoria, BC, Canada.
Wishing everyone a very lovely journey as we embark on yet another wildlife/art adventure full of wonder, excitement and discovery!
Sincerely,
Richard Wong
Professional Wildlife Artist
Watercolor on Japanese Art Paper

Tomato Day
2023-05-20 09:00 - 12:00
The May long weekend is traditionally the time to plant your veggie starts.
We will have several varieties of tomato starts as well as other veggies and herbs.
Our plant sale area is open and fully stocked and the Victoria Master Gardeners are on site to answer your questions.
Below is a list of tomato varieties we will have for you this year:
sweet million
sunrise bumblebee
pink bumblebee
red zebra
scotia
manitoba
speckled roman
early girl
sweetie
roma supremo
cosmonaut volkov
black krim
alaska
black cherry
sungold
also veggie starts and herbs

Willow Chair Workshop with Andrew Kent
2023-05-21 09:00 - 17:00
Join artisan Andrew Kent from The Willow Way for this full day workshop. In one day, with Andrew Kent's expert instruction, you can make and take home your own Bent Willow Rustic Chair. This is a great introduction to rustic building techniques. Learn how to make a square frame from pieces of alder & work with different sizes of willow to create your chair. This is recommended as it is ideal to have a helper for this class. Registration is for up to 2 participants making one chair together.
HCP Members $285 / Non-Members $305
Register ONLINE or by calling 250 479 6162
Cancellations:
Note that this class required a minimum of 2 registrants in order to run. If the minimum is not met, the class will be canceled or postponed. Please contact communityed@hcp.ca if you would like to cancel your registration. Note that registrations less than one week prior to the class date may not be eligible for a refund if registration minimums are not met.

Instructor Bio: Andrew Kent
The Willow Way's roots go back all the way to 1993 when I made my first willow chair in a workshop with Kate Lawes. Over the next five years, Kate and I opened and ran a store in downtown Nanaimo, attended many large and small shows, and hosted numerous willow furniture workshops. Many of the designs I use are traditional, coming from Kentucky by way of Pemberton, BC. Some are then updated with design ideas suggested by the materials themselves.
I grew up on a rural island and have always felt at home in the woods. A keen mountain biker, I am passionate about the outdoors and Vancouver Island. Many of my days are spent hunting for materials, foraging local species of willow and alder, and finding the best shoots and whips for each piece, which directs the creative construction.
From forest to finished product, the entire willow furniture process is an adventure and ever-evolving, which to me is the real beauty of this work. Most of the materials are natural and not milled, which means not one project is the same and it's always a new experience.
I think people respond to my work because it is more than just your average rustic furniture – it is handmade with materials that are otherwise not utilized. My passion for nature and for the creative process comes through in each piece.
Andrew Kent

Landscape Design for Home Gardeners
2023-05-24 18:30 - 20:30
with Heidi Hitchcock
6 part series on wednesdays, 6:30pm - 8:30pm: May 24, 31, June 7, 14, 21, 28
Learn the fundamentals of how to create a design for your space with landscape designer, Heidi Hitchcock. Heidi is a third generation horticulturist. She has over 15 years of experience in the industry and loves bringing people and gardens together.
Heidi will take participants through the various steps in the design process with a series of lectures and hands-on exercises. Participants will get an opportunity to apply what they learn to their own garden design during this series. We always receive excellent participant feedback on this engaging class. All materials are included, beginners welcome.
HCP Members $245 / Non-Members $295
Register ONLINE or call 250 479 6162
Instructor Bio: Heidi Hitchcock
I have grown up with two generations of horticulturists before me. I have over 15 years experience in the industry, from garden maintenance and installation, crew and project management, garden coaching and design and instruction in various areas of Horticulture. A keen curiosity and love of horticulture runs deep in my family. I am inspired by those who loved it before I did, and by those who are learning to love it now. Bringing people and gardens together is my passion, and I feel grateful to be able to share this as an instructor!

Papermaking with Wild, Invasive and Garden Plants
2023-05-27 10:00 - 15:00
with Frances Hunter
Participants will learn about local examples of plants suitable for preparation by hand beating, or by using a kitchen blender. Following this they will hand-beat pre-cooked invasive Daphne/Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola)* fibers to a fine pulp. There will also be smaller quantities of prepared pulp from common wild and cultivated plants for experimentation. Each participant will have their own station with supplied equipment to make Western style paper. Papers will be dried and pressed in the days following the workshop and be ready for pickup up at HCP.
Papermaking is a wet process. If you have one, bring a waterproof apron, and wear shoes that can get wet.
This workshop is at a beginner level. There will be a handout with a list of resources.
HCP Members $45/Non-Members $55
SOLD OUT!
*Note that Daphne is a toxic plant whose bark, sap and berries can cause skin irritation. For this class berried plants are not used. The bark is removed and the inner plant stems are boiled to remove any sap. Participants will be using the already processed substance during the class. Participants should participate at their own risk.
