Event Calendar

Christmas Party

(Doors open at 7pm) Come spend the evening with your fellow gardening friends and learn how to make three Christmas crafts. We will have three stations set up, and demonstrators will show you how to make items you can do yourself at home. 

Michelins from Cicada Seeds

(Doors open at 7pm)  Learn the benefits of seed saving and growing perennial veggies directly from the source. Michalina has a deep love for interesting perennial food plants. She grew up gardening and saving seeds with her

mom on the Sunshine Coast. She launched Cicada Seeds in 2021 to supply hard-to-find perennial vegetable seeds and plants to gardeners. She lives in Errington on a small

hobby farm with her partner, various pets,

and lots of chickens

(Doors open at 6:30pm)

Secure your tickets today for this rare opportunity to be entertained by Des Kennedy.

Want tickets? Send an email to QBGC.event@gmail.com

We are delighted to announce that our garden party this July will be held in a stunning garden setting. To help us prepare and accommodate everyone comfortably, please make sure to RSVP at your earliest convenience. This event is open only to members who have paid their 2024 membership dues. Haven’t renewed yet? Make sure you do it at the June monthly meeting. Your response is crucial for our planning purposes. We eagerly anticipate spending a relaxing and enjoyable time with friends, surrounded by the beauty of the garden.

Pruning Done Right

(Doors open at 7pm) Come along as we introduce Scott Wiskerke! Learn from the best, and watch Scott show the club how to properly prune items brought in my members that need a little love!

Have a large item that needs to be pruned? Bring it to the meeting, and maybe Scott will prune it for everyone to see.  

 Growing Great Roses

(Doors open at 7pm)

In this presentation, we'll debunk the myth that roses are difficult to grow, showing instead how straightforward  it can be with the right guidance. We'll cover topics such as selecting robust varieties, preparing the ideal planting site, and the basics of fertilization, watering, and pruning. Plus, we'll introduce companion planting to naturally boost your garden's health and aesthetics. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this talk will provide valuable tips to help your roses thrive, proving that these beautiful plants can be a simple addition to any garden.

Containers: The WOW factor 

(Doors open at 7pm) There’s something so special about

container gardening. In just a few

moments you can transform the look to an area. More and more plant options are available to use and that can be challenging. Jeff de Jong will be speaking and demonstrating how to put together containers that will steal the show. Jeff will also be sharing Design tips for the whole garden.

Bio: Jeff de Jong is a horticulturist living in Victoria BC. He currently teaches at the University of Victoria

in the Continued Studies Department.

He is a public speaker and leads international garden tours.

Jeff has a passion for landscape design and is involved in several projects for the Pacific Northwest.

He writes for several gardening magazines and is currently working on his first garden book.

Behind the scenes at creating floral displays at The Butchart Gardens with Carlos Moniz 

(Doors open at 7pm) Today we’ll step behind the scenes and take a look at how this process happens from initial design to installation and finally the finished spring and summer displays through a visual tour. Included will be some of Carlos’ top plant and bulb picks for this coming year.

Carlos has been employed at the Butchart Gardens for 49years and currently holds the position as the Director of Horticultural. As part of a family tradition Carlos follows in the footsteps of his father who was the Head Gardener during the 1980’s.

Cicada Seeds and Greenhouse

(Doors open at 7pm) Come along as we introduce two speakers who will give two 30min talks! Gerry who sells greenhouses here for the island, along with Michalina who owns a seed company. 

Gerry will talk about the many pros of using a greenhouse, and what type is best for our climate. His business is Island Greenhouse Sales. 

Michalina will give a presentation about perennial vegetable gardening, and explain why every garden should have some. her business is called Cicada Seeds.

Annual General Meeting

(Doors open at 7pm) We extend a warm invitation to you to attend our much-anticipated Annual General Meeting (AGM). Your participation is not only appreciated but also vital as we reflect on the past year's accomplishments and collectively chart the course for the future. Join us in shaping the destiny of our club.Your insights and presence will contribute significantly to the success of our community. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Backyard Birding

(Doors open at 7pm) Enjoying the birds in your backyard is both calming and entertaining. Attracting the many different species can be easily accomplished by helping them with their three requirements, food, shelter, and water.

A photo presentation of some common backyard birds, their seed preferences and the different types of feeders will help make your backyard birding experience easy and enjoyable.

Bio: Colin Bartlett is the owner of The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store in Nanaimo. Looking for something different to do when he moved to Nanaimo he started a business doing something he enjoyed and opened The Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store in May of 1995. Colin was introduced to nature at a young age through the Boys and Girls club. He later volunteered with the club helping out on the trips and teaching about some of the natural habitat around the camp and other activities. Colin has written articles for local papers and magazines for many years about the birds and nature in the backyard.