The Backyard Farmer – Urban Food Gardens

Registration for 2025 now open.

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Program Overview

Following in the footsteps of Linda Gilkeson’s Year Round Harvest program, this course will teach participants everything they need to know to produce food crops in their backyard, front yard, balcony or boulevard. The course is a strong foundation for beginner gardeners and also home gardeners with some experience.

Our local climate allows for a long growing season and we are fortunate in that we can grow edible crops for most of the year. There will be a strong emphasis on selecting varieties for our local growing conditions and how to make the best of small urban spaces. Participants will learn how to plan a food garden, grow from seed and how to grow various food plants including fruits and vegetables. Harvesting, storage and seed collection will also be covered.

The approach will be a focus on plant health, building healthy soil and integrated pest and disease management. There will also be discussions on coping with changing climatic conditions and gardening in harmony with nature, including birds, pollinators and soil ecology. Participants will also learn ways to contribute to community food production and contribute to local food security.

Program Delivery

The course is delivered in 10 monthly 3-hour sessions from January to October.

Most classes take place Wednesday evenings 6:00pm – 9:00 pm, with two daytime classes happening on Sunday afternoons 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

Classes will be in person at the HCP (505 Quayle Road). Although we will plan for in-person delivery, unavoidable circumstances and remote guest speakers may mean that some classes may delivered online via Zoom.

See the Instructor Bios and Schedule below for details.

Registration &  Fees

Registration is now open.
Register online, or by phone at 250.479.6162

Registration Deposit(due on registration): $50
Course fees (includes deposit): HCP Members: $565.00/Non-Members: $720.00

Fees Include textbook & hand-outs

Course fees due by December 31, 2024

Instructor Biographies

Lead Instructor Bio: Theresa Heinekey

Theresa started farming on Vancouver Island in 2013, after graduating from Dalhousie University with a Masters in Resource and Environmental Management. She fell in love with the local food movement while living in Halifax and going to the bustling farmers markets every Saturday. When she moved back to the West Coast she was eager to get her hands into the soil. Until recently she has been managing Seeds of the Revolution, the Saanich Organics seed company. Theresa stepped away from farming at the end of the 2021 season, and is now…a backyard farmer! Transitioning to a desk job has had its challenges for this outdoors lady, but she is very excited to be growing food for herself and her family, and excited to learn alongside her students how to be the best backyard farmer possible. With a certificate in Organic Seed Saving from the Canadian Organic Growers, a Master Gardener Certificate from Gaia College, and many years of experience farming in our area, Theresa brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom. She is excited to share her skills with her students, and hopefully learn a few new gardening tips from them as well!

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.

Instructor Bio: Linda Gilkeson
Linda’s comprehensive gardening book, Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, became a BC best seller and has just been republished in a new, considerably expanded edition. It is also the text book for this program. She continues to self-publish books for local gardeners, most recently Resilient Gardens: Pollinator Gardens, Garlic Diseases, Pest Update. In the past she has co-authored pest management training manuals for the provincial government and organic gardening books for Rodale Press. Linda created and instructed the popular Year Round Harvest program at the HCP for 12 years at the HCP and the Backyard Farmer Program was created using her original program as a guide.

Instructor Bio: Christina Cook
Christina’s background is in landscape design and gardening. She is a senior instructor at Gaia College for the Organic Master Gardener, Ecological Landscape Design, and Native Plant Knowledge courses. Christina is a SOUL Certified Organic Land Care Professional and has served 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 [www.gardenerspantry.ca], retailing fine organic fertilizers, soil amendments, and beneficial microbes across Canada.

Program Schedule

The following schedule and instructors are confirmed for 2025, but are subject to change.

Planning the Garden and Sowing Seeds

Wednesday, January 29 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

  • Garden location
  • Sun and water requirements
  • Bed design
  • Planting plan (including for small spaces)
  • Crop rotation
  • Starting seeds
  • Planting Plan

Building Healthy Soil

Wednesday, February 26 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Christina Cook

  • Determining soil type
  • Troubleshooting common issues
  • Improving soil health and ecology
  • Organic soil amendments
  • Composting basics

The Spring Garden

Wednesday, March 26- 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

  • Transplanting, hardening off & cold protection
  • Intensive planting methods that produce the most in the smallest space.
  • Containers, greenhouses, tunnels
  • How to grow cabbage and onion family crops, lettuce and greens, carrots and other roots.
  • Encouraging pollinators and supporting wildlife

Gardening Techniques

Sunday, April 27 – 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

Hands on practice of the following skills:

  • Bed preparation
  • Direct sowing
  • Starting seeds indoors
  • Common hand tools
  • Weeding and basic bed maintenance

The Summer Garden

Wednesday, May 28 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

  • Summer seeding
  • Plant supports
  • Dealing with heat – watering & mulching
  • How to grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, corn, beans, squash & cucumbers

Insects & Diseases *Via Zoom*

Wednesday, June 25 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Linda Gilkeson via zoom

  • Identifying common problems
  • Preventing pest and disease problems
  • Natural control methods and easy weed management
  • How to attract beneficial insects

Planting for Winter and Basic Seed Saving

Wednesday, July 30 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

  • When to plant for successful winter crops
  • Fitting crops into the summer garden
  • Pollination basics; easy seed saving methods for common crops
  • Growing resilient gardens in a changing climate, preventing crop disorders.

Preserving the Harvest

Wednesday, August 27 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

  • Curing and storing onions, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes.
  • Storing tree fruit
  • Preserves
  • Freezing and dehydrating as a way to store food
  • How to contribute to community food production and contribute to local food security.

Backyard Orchard

Sunday, September 28 – 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Instructor: Gordon Mackay

  • Fruit tree/shrub establishment care
  • Strategies for restorative pruning and training
  • Pruning and training practice

Preparing for Winter and Review

Wednesday, October 29 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey

  • Cloches, coldframes and winter covers; mulching & staking.
  • Managing greenhouse & containers in winter.
  • Cover cropping

More Information

Please contact [email protected]

Upcoming Events

VIEW EVENT CALENDAR
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19

Willow Chair Workshop with Andrew Kent

January 19, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pmHorticulture Centre Of The Pacific

Join artisan Andrew Kent from The Willow Way for this full day workshop. In one day, with Andrew's expert instruction, you can make and take home your own Bent Willow […]

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23

HCP Kids – Garden Nature Academy Jan 2025

January 23, 2025 @ 9:30 am - 12:00 pm$300.00 - Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific

The Garden Nature Academy is a half day program that runs on Thursday's. The outdoors offers safe and seasonal opportunities for your preschooler to explore through play, games, songs, and […]

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23

How to Compose a Painting: Watercolour Talk and Class with Richard Wong

January 23, 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pmHorticulture Centre Of The Pacific

Start the new year with this artist talk and watercolour painting class, where Richard will offer tips on composing a painting, and you'll learn to paint early spring blossoms, perfect for Valentine's Day.

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25

HCP Kids – Terrariums

January 25, 2025 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am$35.00 - Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific

Gardening with tropicals and succulents is an easy way for children to use their creativity to make these miniature gardens. We will learn about the individual needs of these interesting […]

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Questions? We would love to hear from you!

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Territory Acknowledgement

We at HCP gratefully acknowledge that the Gardens are located on the ancestral territories of the lək’ʷəŋən peoples, represented by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, represented by the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum) and MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat) Nations. With gratitude, we work and learn where people come together in appreciation of plants and stewardship of the Gardens.

505 Quayle Rd. Victoria, BC V9E 2J7

Phone: 250-479-6162

Email: [email protected]

Workshops & Classes for GroupsMaster Gardener Training Program