Upcoming Events

Next Meeting – Thursday, May 12th

BENEFICIAL BUGS IN YOUR GARDEN

Those who were at our July 2015 meeting will remember the short talk given by Dr. Veronica Wahl of UNIBUG. 

Veronica was so enthusiastic and her subject so interesting that we’ve invited her back to give us a more in-depth presentation.

UNIBUG (User Network for Insect Biology in the Urban Garden) is a Douglas College project that helps urban gardeners manage insect pests without using chemical pesticides. 

Read more about their project at http://unibug.ca/

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Next GGC meeting, April 14th, Thursday

SPEAKER FOR OUR APRIL MEETING: CHRISTINE ALLEN "Growing a City"   Vancouver gardens have come a long way in 100 years. Christine will take you from early struggles to beautify a slash-and-burn landscape, through the era of neat lawns dotted with a shrub or two, to the diverse gardens of today's Vancouver – as innovative, idiosyncratic, and inspired as their owners.  Besides being our Grandview Garden Club leader, Christine Allen is a Vancouver writer and gardener. In 1993 she gave up her career as a college instructor to move with her husband to a 9-acre farm in south Langley. During the following 14 years they raised sheep and chickens, and Christine developed a garden of old-fashioned roses, vines, and perennials. By 2006, when they sold the farm, Christine's rose collection had grown to 175 different antique varieties. In 2010, after three years in Australia, the couple returned to Vancouver where Christine is now developing a new garden on their small city lot in Grandview. Christine is a Life Member of the Master Gardeners' Association of B.C. She was president of The Vancouver Rose Society in 1996–1998 and of South Surrey Garden Club in 2005–2006. Until she left for Australia, she was a member of the Great Plant Picks Program, run by the Elisabeth C. Miller Garden in Seattle. Christine has taught in the VanDusen Education program, and spoken to many garden clubs in B.C. and Washington. She wrote regularly for GardenWise magazine until its demise in 2013 and for other gardening publications in both Canada and the U.S. She is the author of several books including Roses for the Pacific Northwest and Gardens of Vancouver. Her most recent book is A Year at Killara Farm, a memoir of her experiences on the Langley farm. We meet in the Learning Resources Centre (under the Britannia Library), at 7:00, on the second Thursday of the month. SEEDS & SEEDLING SWAP! Susan Lockhart, one of our members, had a brilliant idea: that we who are starting seeds, and who have too many seedlings of one kind or another (how many zucchini plants do you really need?), should bring their extras to our April meeting to share or trade with other folks in the community. You could also bring any extra seeds you have that you won't be needing yourself. Please put them in envelopes or packets and label them.

Three Other Very Important Things! RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2016! If you haven't done so yet, now's the time to renew your membership! Bring your $20 and renew! If you don't renew, but want to come to a meeting, you'll need to pay a $4 drop in. If you come to more than five meetings over the year, the $20 membership is well worth the cost! Don't forget, with a membership, you get discounts at GardenWorks, Figaro's, and Magnet Hardware (for garden-related purchases). Plus you help us to stay solvent and to pay honoraria to our guest speakers.   CITY OF VANCOUVER RAIN BARREL SALE!  http://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/rain-barrel-sale.aspx BEAUTIFUL IN APRIL? Bring a sample of something from your garden that looks just fabulous on the day of the meeting.

Vancouver Tree Week Film Screening "The Man Who Planted Trees" Monday, April 4th, 7:00 pm

A FREE Vancouver Tree Week Film Screening "The Man Who Planted Trees" Monday, April 4th, 7:00 pm Britannia Community Centre, Canucks Family Education Centre (CFEC), 1655 William (Above the Eastside Family Place)   Watch the beautiful 1987 Oscar-winning animated short film, “The Man Who Planted Trees,” written by Jean Giono after WWII, tells story of one shepherd's long and successful singlehanded effort to re-forest a desolate valley, presented by Vancouver Film School classical animation instructor Keith Blackmore. Keith Blackmore, Vancouver Film School instructor & film historian will present the film and discuss how it relates to our own neighbourhood and personal initiatives. Since 1995 Keith Blackmore has been an instructor of Classical Animation, 3D Animation & VFX at the Vancouver Film School.  As a member of the SPARK CG Society and the Vancouver SIGGRAPH chapter he has been the Conference Chairman for several animation and VFX festivals in Vancouver. As an animation historian Keith has also been a guest lecturer at ECUAD, Science World, and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Hear arborist David Tracey, executive director of Tree City, talk about our human relationship with trees. Our primate ancestors knew trees intimately as their homes, protectors, and providers. We climbed down to evolve as humans but in many ways we never left. Trees are still found at the heart of religion, myth, science, and story. The Grandview Garden Club is sponsoring this screening in partnership with the Grandview Woodland Food Connection! It's part of Vancouver Tree Week. Please do come; it will be a really inspiring evening. The film itself is just over 30 minutes long.

Upcoming Events (March and early April 2016)

March 26–27, 10 am–4 pm

Vancouver Orchid Society Show and Sale
Floral Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden
More information at: vancouverorchidsociety.ca

April 2, 12–4 pm.
Alpine Garden Club Spring Show and Sale
Floral Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden
Uncommon plants and seeds at amazing prices
More information at: agc-bc.ca/shows-sales

April 9, 10 am–4:30 pm
Vancouver Dahlia Society Tuber Sale
Floral Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden
Admission by donation
More information at: carollie@shaw.ca

Next Meeting Thurs March 10th – Growing Plants from Seed!

Our next Grandview Garden Club meeting is Thursday, March 10th, 7:00 (in the Learning Resources Centre, under the Britannia Library).

Our special speaker this month is Grandview Garden Club member, Mark Demers, a lifelong inspired amateur gardener. He considers himself more of a "plantsman" than a landscaper, and his particular passion is the soil. He will speak on growing plants from seed ... and he intends to talk about many different kinds of seeds and plants.

Mark's intention is to involve the whole group in the discussion about growing from seed so please bring questions and ideas to the meeting.

Hope to see you there!!

Three Other Very Important Things!

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2016! 

If you haven't done so yet, now's the time to renew your membership! Bring your $20 and renew! If you don't renew, but want to come to a few meetings, you'll need to pay a $4 drop in each time. If you come to more than five meetings over the year, the $20 membership is well worth the cost! Don't forget, with a membership, you also get discounts at garden shops, including GardenWorks and Figaro's, and for garden-related purchases at Magnet Hardware. Plus you help us to stay solvent and to pay honoraria to our guest speakers.

TOUR OF SUN YAT SEN, APRIL 3RD!

If you'd like to go on a special guided tour of the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden, Janet will also have a sheet for people to sign up at the meeting and then she will let Bob and Hayne at Dr. SYS know how many are coming.


Tour of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Sunday, April 3, 10:00-11:30 a.m. — Please join Hayne Wai and Bob Wilmott who will provide us with an in-depth tour of the Dr. SYS Garden. They presented their PowerPoint on the Garden to our Grandview Garden Club last June, and we are pleased to follow up with a personal tour with them.

Regular tours at the Garden are about 45 minutes long but Hayne and Bob will spend extra time to introduce the Garden and discuss its maintenance and pruning to showcase its Ming Dynasty classical elegance. An optional dim sum lunch in Chinatown can be arranged afterwards for those who are interested.

We have been offered a special group rate of $10.50 adults, $9.50 seniors (regular admission is $12 and $10) with a minimum of 10 participants. Please also have a look at the Garden website   http://vancouverchinesegarden.com for membership fees, benefits, programs and activities.

BEAUTIFUL THIS MONTH?

Bring a sample of something from your garden that looks just fabulous right now (in March!).

CLAUDE LEDOUX'S HANGING BASKET WORKSHOPS

At our February meeting, our entertaining and knowledgeable speaker Claude LeDoux mentioned the hanging basket workshops he will be giving in New Westminster this spring. He has now sent us the details (see below.) This looks like a great opportunity to learn from an expert at a very reasonable price, considering you walk away with a completed basket of your own.

Posted by Christine Allen

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