Halifax Garden Festival returns to Victoria Park Saturday (4 photos)
Posted Jun 15, 2018 05:42:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A celebration of gardening will take over Victoria Park Saturday.
The Halifax Garden Festival will feature around 50 nurseries, plant breeders and vendors from across the province offering seeds, garden art and decor, tools, crafts, cut flowers and food.
Organizer Niki Jabbour said the festival is aimed at everyone, from serious gardeners and landscapers to flower growers and kids.
“It's just going to be a day to celebrate gardening, whether you have a big garden, a tiny garden or no garden at all and you want to get some skills, it's a great time to come down and learn from all these experts.”
The day will be packed with free seminars and demonstrations from a variety of experts.
“Neville MacKay, who is so inspiring and entertaining, is going to be giving a talk,” she said. “We've also got Paul Manning from Dalhousie University, he's got a really fun talk about garden bugs.”
Jabbour, a best-selling author and host of NEWS 95.7's The Weekend Gardener will also be conducting a seminar.
Her latest book 'Veggie Garden Remix' encourages gardeners to expand beyond the traditional varieties of vegetables.
“I'm going to be talking about some really unique things to grow, some fun things in your garden this year,” said Jabbour. “And I'm going to plant up a small container with some veggie plants, herbs and flowers, which we're going to give away to one of the audience members.”
Last year's inaugural Halifax Garden Festival attracted between 800 and 1,000 people, despite a day-long downpour. This year, with warm sunshine in the forecast, attendees will be able to swap their umbrellas for sunscreen.
The family friendly event goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend.
Halifax Garden Festival seminars will take place in a large tent at the Spring Garden Road entrance to Victoria Park. The schedule is as follows:
- 9:30 to 9:55 – Bob Earle and Scott Croucher of Lee Valley Tools will present on 'Tried and True Tool Sharpening and Maintenance'
- 10 to 10:25 – Paul Manning of Dalhousie University will talk 'Garden Bugs 101'
- 10:30 to 10:55 – Chloe Kennedy of HRM Solid Waste Recycles will offer tips on Backyard Composting
- 11 to 11:25 – Neville MacKay of My Mother's Bloomers will dazzle us with the beauty of flowers (and his sparkling wit!)
- 11:30 to 11:55 – Angie Oriana Jenkins of Sister Lotus Body Care Products, Belly Dance, & Herbal Education will share Edible & Medicinal 'Weeds' in Your Garden and Beyond
- Noon to 12:25 – Jenni Blackmore, author of The Food Lover's Garden and Permaculture for the Rest of us will introduce us to some of her favourite 'Purposeful Plants'.
- 12:30 to 12:55 – Amanda Muis of The Humble Burdock Farm and author of From Seed to Centerpiece gives us a 'behind the scenes' look at a flower farm.
- 1 to 1:25 – David Adams introduces us to the Secret Language of Bees & Flowers – learn how they communicate!
- 1:30 to 1:55 – Niki Jabbour, author of Veggie Garden Remix will talk veggie gardening and plant up an edible container garden.
- 2 to 2:25 – Elizabeth Peirce, author of You Can Too! and Grow Organic shares the basics of Home Canning 101
- 2:30 to 2:55 – Crystal Godfrey of Secret Gardens by Crystal teaches us about Herbs: The Perfect Potted Patio Plant.