Horticulture Centre of the Pacific

Victoria Foundation Free Admission Day
2016-09-17 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Thank you to the Victoria Foundation for Sponsoring a Free Admission Day on Saturday, September 17th from 9 AM - 5 PM.

Brian Minter - New Trends and the Changing Nature of Gardening
2016-09-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
The Gardens at HCP is pleased to present a talk by world-renowned gardener Brian Minter on Thursday, September 15th at 6:30 PM followed by a meet and greet. Plants from Brian Minter's 'Minter Country Gardens' will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6 PM.
Tickets must be purchased in advance, over the phone 250-479-6162 or in the office at the Gardens at HCP.
Members $18
Non-Members $21

Soil Basics for the Home Gardener Workshop
2016-09-11 10:00 - 13:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Christina Nikolic
What kind of soil do you have in your garden? How can you improve your soil health? If figuring out how to care for your soil seems like a complex and daunting task, then this workshop is for you.
Instructor Christina Nikolic of the Organic Gardener's Pantry will teach you how to determine the soil types and how they function. You will learn about organic matter and living organism in the soil and how these impact plant health. You will also be introduced to safe and simple fertilizers and amendments to improve your soil health. The home gardener will leave with the basic knowledge and resources to make the best of the soil conditions in their own gardens.
HCP Members $30
Non-Members $35
To register, call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio: Christina Nikolic
Christina's background is in landscape design and gardening. She is a senior instructor at Gaia College, where she teaches the Organic Master Gardener and Ecological Landscape Design courses. Christina is a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional and has been serving on the board of directors of SOUL (Society for Organic Urban land Care) for nearly a decade. Currently she runs The Organic Gardener's Pantry, retailing fine organic fertilizers, soil amendments, and beneficial microbes across Canada.

JMG Kids Garden Club
2016-09-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Learn lots of hands on gardening and other nature activities while having a tonne of fun in this once a month all ages club!
Dates: September 10, October 8, November 12, December 10
Time: 10 am – 12 pm
Cost: $10 for 1 session, or $35 for 4 sessions
Ages: all ages, children under 5 years accompanied by an adult please!
For registration, please call the HCP office at 250-479-6162.

By Donation Day
2016-09-05 09:00 - 17:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Admission by donation 9 am - 5 pm on Monday September 5th.

August Picnic Night
2016-08-31 17:00 - 20:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
The Gardens at HCP is extending our hours the last Wednesday of the month May – August so families and friends can come down for a lovely picnic on our grounds.
Live music on August 31: Brad Prevedoros, 6-8pm http://www.manzanitaproductions.com/

Back to Reality - Guided Meditation
2016-08-27 09:00 - 22:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
As you leave summer and head back to school, work and general busyness take a moment, come into the Gardens and re-group. Listening to the water, birds and breeze the sessions are guided by Angela Strank. Sessions are 45 - 60 minutes long. Admission into the Gardens is included in your fee so please plan to take time to explore after.
$20 for members, $18 for non-members
Space is limited, please secure your spot by calling the office at 250-479-6162 or e-mailing events@hcp.ca. Drop-ins are welcome, dependant on availability.

Pesticide Applicator Exam
2016-08-25 09:00 - 12:15 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Pesticide Applicator Exam (Landscape General Category): Thursday, August 25, 9am-12:15pm

For those who have completed the BC Pesticide Applicator's License Course, or who are just required to take the exam.
Cost if you sign up for the exam only: $110

To sign up please contact College Administration at (250) 479-3210, or via email form:

Tea Time!
2016-08-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
An introduction to the ancient art of making tea for children, including plant identification, growing, harvesting, and preparing flowers, leaves, and herbs to brew. Participants will host their own tea party to explore the various tastes and scents of herbal tea making. Then we will finish by packaging up our own sample tea brews to take home.
Cost: $15/child
Ages: 5+ years
For registration, please contact the HCP office at 250-479-6162. Parents/guardians are welcome to stay and participate.

Pesticide Applicator Course
2016-08-15 09:00 - 16:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Landscape General Category
The course is two full days, plus half a day for the exam:
Course: Monday, August 15, and Monday, August 22, 9am – 4:00pm
Exam: Thursday, August 25, 9am-12:15pm
Cost is $400, which includes the textbooks and the exam fee. Note that you can sign up to write the exam only for a cost of $110.
To sign up please contact College Administration at (250) 479-3210, or via email form:

Flower Arranging for your Special Event
2016-08-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Large Arrangements

Come and join us for a creative floral experience. Participants will have the opportunity to design and create their own natural arrangements under the expert guidance and instruction of Eiddwen Thomas, local floral designer and flower farmer. This course will feature locally grown flowers, foliage, grasses and ornamentals as much as possible.

This workshop is ideal for those wanting to do their own floral arrangements for weddings or special events. It is a great opportunity to exchange ideas with others who are wanting to do the same. All materials are included in the class fee.

Large arrangements - August 14th, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Members $110
Non-Members $125

To sign up call 250 479 6162 or email communityed@hcp.ca for more information.

Arts & Music In The Gardens
2016-08-06 11:00 - 16:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
August 6 & 7, 2016, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm both days
Admission

You can purchase your tickets at the Gardens:

$12 adults

$9 seniors/students

FREE under 16

Admission is FREE for HCP members

The admission fee gives you multiple entry for BOTH days of the event!

This major fundraiser for the HCP has become one of Victoria's finest art events. Held in our beautiful gardens (which are spectacular at the moment), some artists and musicians say there are few events in Victoria that compare with Arts & Music in the Gardens.
As you wander through the gardens and view the art, you will never be far from music as some of Victoria's finest musicians entertain throughout the gardens each day. These musicians have all volunteered their time and talents to the future of your HCP, so come out to support and thank them.
This fundraising event shows the HCP at its best and is an essential fundraiser to maintain the ongoing work in the gardens. It also furthers the HCP's valuable contribution to the Victoria community. Come and have some fun! It's free for HCP members! Bring a friend and you will be investing in the future of the HCP.
Accessible parking is available on-site and a free shuttle will leave regularly from Vancouver Island Tech park for an easy parking experience. Please note that although your furry friends are allowed in the gardens they are unable to travel on the shuttle bus. Please make parking arrangements accordingly.

Pebble Art Workshop
2016-08-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
A creative exploration of ecosystems through art. Kids will identify the key parts of a local system, then design a story board using pebbles and paints. These skills can be used to explore other aspects of nature and provide a fun take home activity to share.
Cost: $15/child
Ages: 5+ years
For registration, please contact the HCP office at 250-479-6162. Parents/guardians are welcome to stay and participate.

July Picnic Night
2016-07-27 17:00 - 20:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
The Gardens at HCP is extending our hours the last Wednesday of the month May – August so families and friends can come down for a lovely picnic on our grounds.

Live music on July 27: R&R - Randall Cook & Ray Spencer, 6-8pm www.reverbnation.com/rnr2

Nutritifying your Larder Workshop
2016-07-16 10:00 - 13:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Rhona McAdam
Learn which varieties are the most nutritious, and how best to prepare and store them for optimum nutrition with Rhona McAdam, local author, poet and holistic nutritionist. Rhona has a Permaculture Design Certificate, a Master's degree in Food Culture & Communication and is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.
Over thousands of years of agriculture, we have sought to make our food crops more delicious and productive to grow, but our knowledge of agriculture has outstripped our awareness of food's nutritional content and medicinal values.
Nowadays, as chronic food-related ailments increase in tandem with consumption of highly processed, artificially flavoured and nutritionally bankrupt foods, it's time to step back and salvage something from our fruits and vegetables. This class will be of interest to both home gardeners and to non-gardening consumers.
HCP Members $40.00
Non-Members $45.00
To register, call 250 479 6162.

Instructor Bio: Rhona McAdam
Rhona McAdam is a food writer, poet and holistic nutritionist. She has a Permaculture Design Certificate, a Master's degree in Food Culture & Communication (from Slow Food's University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy) and is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Her business, Go Local Nutrition, is based at Haliburton Community Organic Farm in Victoria, and she teaches Eco-Nutrition at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Nanaimo. She's published numerous collections of food (and other) poetry, written for Small Farm Canada and Alive magazines, and her first nonfiction book, Digging the City: An Urban Agriculture Manifesto, has been garnering praise from urban and rural readers since it first appeared in 2012.
"You don't need to be a “Guerrilla Gardener” to enjoy reading Digging the City. The book is appealing for its personal narrative, informative analysis, and for its contribution to the growing literature on the sustainable food movement that seeks to change the way we eat." - Coastal Spectator

Fairy Garden Workshop
2016-07-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
FAIRY GARDEN WORKSHOP begins with an enchanted walk through the Gardens at HCP. Participants will collect natural materials on the walk to use towards the creation of their own take home Fairy Garden. They will have a chance to explore a variety of materials such as clay, moss, and twigs. Parents/guardians are welcome to stay and participat
Date: Friday, July 8 Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Cost: $15/person Ages: 5+ years

Nature around us
2016-07-05 11:00 - 11:45 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
A Walk & Talk session for children 5+ geared to the exploration of Native Plants, Beneficials, and Sustainability. Participants will tour a few of the gardens at HCP as they discover more about the natural world around them.
Please reserve your spot by calling the HCP office at 250-479-6162. Free for children - children must be accompanied by an adult who has paid garden admission.

Stories in the Shade
2016-07-05 10:00 - 10:45 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
A bi-weekly story time designed around a theme that explores subjects such as gardens, bugs, and nature through stories and a related craft. This program is designed for the younger ages (2+), although older children are welcome to attend with their younger siblings.
Please reserve your spot by calling the HCP office at 250-479-6162. Free for children - children must be accompanied by an adult who has paid garden admission.

June Picnic Night
2016-06-29 17:00 - 20:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
The Gardens at HCP is extending our hours the last Wednesday of the month May – August so families and friends can come down for a lovely picnic on our grounds.

College Information Session
2016-06-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Thinking about a career in horticulture? Our next full-time Horticulture Certificate Program starts in January 2017.
Learn about the program and the application process, see the gardens and bring all your questions to our information session on June 23, 2016, 6pm @ The Gardens at HCP.
Registration is preferred, but drop-ins are welcome.
To register, please email collegeadmin@hcp.ca.

Make your own hypertufa pot
2016-06-19 10:00 - 13:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Heather Goulet
Learn the art of making beautiful rock like containers using the hypertufa technique. Each participant will make a pot during the workshop and take it home with them. Hypertufa allows you to use any interesting bowl or object as a mold for your pot. Once you learn the technique, you will be able to create sculptural containers for your garden at home.
Instructor, gardener and sculpture Heather Goulet a will teach you how to measure and mix her own recipe for long lasting tufa pots. Participants can bring a vessel with a shape that they like, for example a plastic or metal bowl to use as a mold. Pots can be decorated with leaf impressions on the outside, embedded pebbles, glass or shell around the rims. On the second day everyone will reveal their pots and trim the edges. Heather will also share some options on how to plant and create your tufa garden pot.
Two Sessions:
June 19th @ 10:00pm - 1:00pm &
June 26th @ 9:00am - 12:00pm

HCP Members $75
Non-Members $90

Instructor Bio: Heather Goulet
Heather is a gardener and landscaper by trade. She has lived in Deep Cove for 37 years where she has created beautiful landscaped and organic vegetable gardens. Her gardens have hosted numerous art and garden tours
including the North Saanich Flavour Trail.
Heather started with sculpture as therapy and worked mostly in paper mache creating some large art pieces. She soon ran out of indoor space and turned to the outdoors. Heather continued learning the art of sculpture on Denman Island with Michael Kapati and later with David Hunwick at Victoria College of Art. She then began to use concrete to create sculpture for the outdoors and has been doing so for the last decade. Heather continues to develop her artistic her skill and has explored concrete leaf prints, body casting, spheres and mosaic. Heather also teaches garden sculpture and hosts small workshops from her home studio.

Flower Arranging for your Special Event Workshop
2016-06-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Eiddwen Thomas
Come and join us for a creative floral experience. Participants will have the opportunity to design and create their own natural arrangements under the expert guidance and instruction of Eiddwen Thomas, local floral designer and flower farmer. This three part series will feature locally grown flowers, foliage, grasses and ornamentals as much as possible.
These workshops are ideal for those wanting to do their own floral arrangements for weddings or special events. It is a great opportunity to exchange ideas with others who are wanting to do the same. Each workshop can be taken on its own or sign up for all three. All materials are included in the class fee.
Boutonnieres and Corsages - June 5th @ 10:00am - 12:00pm
HCP Members $75/Non Members $90
Hand tied bouquet - July 3rd @ 10:00am - 12:00pm
HCP Members $95/Non Members $110
Large arrangements - August 14th @ 10:00am - 12:00pm
HCP Members $110/Non Members $125

To register, call 250 479 6162

Instructor Bio. Eiddwen Thomas
Eiddwen is a local floral designer, flower farmer and owner of Cantref Gardens. She has grown many different kinds of flowers and other materials for cutting and especially loves doing floral design for weddings and special events. She has a flower stall at the Sidney Market and the Peninsula Country Market. Eiddwen has been the curator for the cutting garden at the Horticultural Centre for the Pacific for several years.

WOLFING DOWN WEEDS: Part 2 – Wild Stir Fries and Iced Teas
2016-06-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Part 2 of Wolfing Down Weeds will explore a different group of weeds, those that may at first appear a little less tender and tasty. But don't be deceived by their tough exteriors, many tougher weeds make excellent food as well! Plants will be identified and gathered the same as the previous workshop but this time we will finish the class with a cold glass of iced wild tea ad a lovely summer sauté of our harvest.
Call 250-479-6162 or e-mail youthprograms@hcp.ca to register.
Saturday June 4, 1-4pm $25/family of 4 (1 session) or $40/family (part 1 & 2 ) *All ages welcome!

Annual General Meeting and Special Presentation
2016-05-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Date: May 29, 2016 at 1:00
Location: The Gardens at HCP Couvelier Pavilion
AGM That time again where our members gather to review the highlights of the year. This year's AGM will be at 1:00 on May 29th and should be approximately one hour in length. At 2:15 there will be a special presentation on Japanese Gardens by Katie Cowl.
Details attached:
AGM Announcement 2016 for web
HCP AGM Agenda 2016
Highlights of 2015 (Report-PDF)

Building with Cob - Garden Bench Project
2016-05-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Beth Cruise
Learn this ancient natural building technique with Beth Cruise. This hands-on cob building workshop will give you the basic, practical skills for building many garden structures like walls, sheds, benches, arbours, bulletin boards, display centres, huts, gazebos, and sanctuaries. Learning the finishing touch of colourful earthen plasters, mosaics, embedded objects and sculptural relief will help you create beautiful, imaginative and functional garden art.
Cob building techniques are easily learned by all ages, endlessly adaptable and promote community with building together. Cob is a building material composed of clay, straw, & sand used for construction since medieval times. The result is a local, long-lasting, non-toxic, low impact, fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive product.
Note that this is a hands-on workshop where participants will be creating a cob bench. The workshop will taking place over 2 weekends.
May 28, 29 & June 11, 12 @ 10:00am - 4:00pm
HCP Members $135
Non-Members $155
To register, call 250 479 6162.

*Photo Credit: Beth Cruise

Tomato Day
2016-05-21 09:00 - 12:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Join us on Saturday, May 20, between 9:00 am and 12:00 noon!

Organically grown heirloom tomato varieties
Veggie and herb transplants
Free admission to the Gardens!

WOLFING DOWN WEEDS: Part 1 – Wild Teas and Salads
2016-05-14 13:00 - 16:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
Take in the sights and smells of spring while learning a little appreciation for the lowly weeds peeking out from under the spring flowers. Learn how to identify and collect common garden and lawn weeds, and then take them back to the lunch room to prepare a wild tea and delightful spring salad. This workshop is geared towards families and will leave you with the knowledge you need to start utilizing the weeds growing right in your backyard!
Call 250-479-6162 or e-mail youthprograms@hcp.ca to register.
Saturday May 14, 1-4pm $25/family of 4 (1 session) or $40/family (part 1 & 2) *All ages welcome!

Mother, Daughter & Son's Soap Making Workshop
2016-05-08 12:30 - 15:30 | BC
with Grace Wolfe
This is the perfect Mother's Day gift! A gift of creative time together in a spectacular garden setting and delightful handmade natural soaps to take home. This is a special Mother's Day class for moms and their adult daughters or sons. Join Grace Wolfe, from Hands Together Traveling Soap Co, who will guide your pair in creating waste-free, vegan, cold-process soap on Mother's Day. Each pair takes home a box of soap to share; to nurture your skin as you remember your day together. A portion of the profits will be donated to a local charity. We look forward to sharing a special Mother's Day with you!
HCP Members $90.00 per pair signing up.
Non-Members per $95.00 pair signing up.

To register, call 250 479 6162.

Foraging Workshop - includes lunch by local chef
2016-05-07 10:00 - 15:00 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
With Chef Castro Boateng & Foraging Guide Lance Staples

This is not your average picnic! Join us for a unique foraging adventure at the Gardens at HCP. The group will spend a couple of hours gathering wild local edibles while learning about foraging from guide Lance Staples. After their foraging adventure, the group will feast on a three course meal using foraged ingredients prepared by Chef Castro Boateng. All this in the beautiful garden setting at the HCP.

Castro Boateng- With over 16 years of professional culinary experience, Castro has integrated his love for creative art and food into a successful fine catering business in Victoria BC. Known for high end corporate events, weddings, private dining, foraging tours, cooking classes, consulting services and food styling – Executive Chef Castro Boateng is pleased to share his passion for unique fine dining experiences.

Lance Staples- Our expert foraging guide. Lance has been supplying his foraged foods to local restaurants and catering companies for four years. His passion for the BC wildlife is contagious!

Two workshop dates to choose from:
Saturday April 30th from 10am - 3pm
or
Saturday May 7th from 10am - 3pm

Cost: $99 per participant

Yoga for Gardeners Workshop Series
2016-05-05 09:30 - 11:30 | Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., Victoria, BC, V9E 2J7, Canada
with Jenny Feick
Every spring, people enthusiastically venture into their garden and yard, only to return hours later sore and exhausted. Yoga can help you avoid some common gardening injuries and reduce current aches and pains. Through attention to posture and alignment principles, this workshop will help you protect your hips, shoulders, wrists, back and knees. You will learn what you should do to get your body ready for gardening and how to stretch and move after working in your yard so that you feel rejuvenated.
Jenny shares her passion for Yoga, Nature, and gardening on and off her mat. Raised by a family that ran a landscaping business and created rock gardens, she continues to garden at her home in Esquimalt, B.C. Jenny began her yoga practice as a teenager and practiced diverse hatha yogatraditions. She completed her initial yoga teacher training with Blissologist Eoin Finn, and in 2014 became the only yoga teacher on Vancouver Island to become certified in the therapeutic YogAlign Method. With her background in environmental science, Jenny weaves ecological knowledge with her understanding of Yoga, to create unique, fun, nature-inspired hatha flow yoga classes. She provides posture and alignment advice and suggests options for all yoga experience levels. For more information, explore the Nature Wise Yoga webpage and the Nature Wise Yoga FaceBook Page.
Participants to please bring a Yoga mat, block and strap if you have one.
Four Sessions:
Thursdays, April 14th, 21st, 28th and May 5th
9:30m - 11:30am
HCP Members $120/ 4 Sessions or $40 per session
Non-Members $140/4 Sessions or $45 per session
To register, call 250 479 6162.
