Over the last 10,000 years Victoria’s relatively dry climate in composition with Indigenous land management activities have resulted in a unique array of plant species. Many of these native plants are well-suited to home gardens and some are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and edible. Participants will gain a better understanding of how gardening with native plants can help maintain local biodiversity, including the wildlife that depends on our native flora. This workshop will also give an overview of to turn underutilized lawned spaces to wildflower meadows.
The role of native seed in restoration and gardening is expanding in the Victoria region. Seed is a cost-effective way of introducing native plants to a variety of spaces – everything from larger restoration projects, lawn to meadow, to creating patches of wildflowers in home gardens. This workshop will focus on topics related to native seed production, the fundamentals of growing native plants from seed, and practical tips on ensuring success when using native seed.
Over the last 10,000 years Victoria’s relatively dry climate in composition with Indigenous land management activities have resulted in a unique array of plant species. Many of these native plants are well-suited to home gardens and some are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and edible. Participants will gain a better understanding of how gardening with native plants can help maintain local biodiversity, including the wildlife that depends on our native flora. This workshop will also give an overview of to turn underutilized lawned spaces to wildflower meadows.
We've decided to have a seed sale this week! This is a 2 for 1 sale on $5 packets of Douglas' aster, Stinging Nettle, Farewell-to-spring, Blue-eyed Grass, Great Camas, Graceful Cinquefoil, Coastal Sage, and Mountain Sneezeweed. Feel free contact us and we can set your packets aside for pick up at your convenience. We are also happy to mail your seeds.
Over the last 10,000 years Victoria’s dry climate and Indigenous land management activities have resulted in a unique array of plant species. Lucky for us, many of these are well-suited to home gardens and some are even drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and edible!
Participants will gain a better understanding of how gardening with native plants can help maintain local biodiversity, including the wildlife that depends on our native flora. This workshop will also give an overview of the great potential Victoria has in turning lawned areas to wildflower meadows.
Join Kristen Miskelly from Saanich Native Plants for an introduction to growing a variety of native plants from seed in your garden. Some discussion will also focus on practices for saving and sharing seed from native species. This event is FREE!
Presented in partnership with The LifeCycles Project and the greater Victoria Public Library
Metchosin has an array of native plants well-suited to home gardens and even making wildflower meadows! Join Kristen Miskelly from Saanich Native Plants to learn more about native plants that help maintain local biodiversity. This talk will also give an overview of turning lawned areas into wildflower meadows.
p. 250 995-2428
email: hatmail@hat.bc.ca
Sunday November 11th, 1pm-3pm
LocationInterested in learning about improving biodiversity in urban areas? Join Saanich Native Plants, Peninsula Streams Society, and Pollinator Partnership Canada to help plant and seed the new Lochside Wildflower Meadow! This half acre meadow along the Lochside Trail will provide habitat for wildlife and opportunities for people to learn about native plants, pollinators, and restoration. We will be planting native grasses and other meadow wildflowers suited to clay meadow (ever wonder what plants are adapted to winter flooding and dry summers?). We have also designed vernal pool areas that will be home to some unusual and rare species. Pollinator Partnership Canada, who has been working with students this past year on baseline monitoring of pollinators, can help answer your questions about the more than 200 native bee species and other pollinators in our area!
Meet beside the Lochside Trail (across from the George Tripp BC Hydro substation) at 4050 Lochside Drive. Limited parking is available here, and we encourage carpooling, walking, cycling, etc. Look for the Peninsula Streams Society signage and tent. Map --> https://goo.gl/maps/8vtfBV3kFXq
Additional project details here: http://peninsulastreams.ca/blenkinsop
Saanich Native Plants has partnered with Peninsula Streams Society and Pollinator Partnership Canada to create a wildflower meadow beside the Lochside trail on BC Hydro Land! Come to the upcoming community meeting on September 6th to learn more about the Lochside Garry Oak Meadow.
The meeting will be onsite, starting at 6:30 PM.
Meet beside the Lochside Trail (across from the George Tripp BC Hydro substation) at 4050 Lochside Drive. Limited parking is available here, and we encourage carpooling, walking, cycling, etc. Look for the Peninsula Streams Society signage and tent. Map --> https://goo.gl/maps/8vtfBV3kFXq
Additional project details here: http://peninsulastreams.ca/blenkinsop
This meadow will be planted with native grasses and other wildflowers and will feature clay meadow, vernal pools, and an interpretative area. A hedgerow of Black Hawthorn, Trembling Aspen, June Plum, and Garry Oak borders the existing meadow. Pollinator Partnership has been working with students this past year on baseline monitoring of pollinators. We are excited about providing habitat for pollinator species as well as continued opportunities for students & community members to learn about native plants, pollinators, and restoration. We will be posting a community planting and seeding event shorty for the end of September.
Kristen Miskelly, James Miskelly, Leigh Joseph/Styawat
Join us in May for a 4-day workshop about Garry Oak Ecosystem Restoration
with Royal Roads University
May 19th, 20th, 26th 27th
9am-3pm
For more info and registration click here
This course is for anyone interested in learning more about Garry Oak Ecosystems and how to enhance/restore them. In the classroom and field, we will study the ecology of southern Vancouver Island, plant identification, wildlife, restoration and enhancement, human history of our area, and more! Numerous field trips to key sites will emphasize restoration techniques and identification. This course will provide a foundation for people working in Garry Oak Ecosystem land management, as well as landowners who would like to maintain or enhance habitat on their properties.
Day 1: Leigh Joseph/Styawat, from the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) First Nations will be teaching about the cultural significance of Garry Oak Ecosystems, key food plants within GOE’s, and cultural and spiritual connection to the land through plants. Students who are part of this course are invited to a community Camas pitcook at SṈIDȻEȽ (Tod Inlet).
To learn more about Leigh visit https://www.leighjoseph.com/
Are you a homeowner or land manager interested in creating a native wildflower meadow in place of lawn or field? Join Kristen Miskelly of Saanich Native Plants to learn what you need to know to create a successful meadow, including which native species to use, how to prepare and plant your area, and how to keep it thriving for years to come.
HCP Members $45
Non-Members $60
To register, call 250 479 6162
Stinging Nettle is a fascinating plant with many uses. Beangka Elliott will share some of her expertise and knowledge about this fascinating plant and there will be stinging nettle tea for tasting! Bring rubber boots for a short walk to look at this plant growing.
This is part of our Sunday Series, offering Free workshops on Sunday's through spring and summer.
Meet at 741 Haliburton Road at 10am
Please join us April 20th 4pm to 7pm at our nursery location to celebrate the 5th year anniversary of Saanich Native Plants
- Drinks and Snacks by Hoyne and Standard Pizza
- 10% off all plants 4-7pm
- Tours
741 Haliburton Road, Saanich, BC
Please RSVP to info@saanichativeplants.com
Join Saanich Native Plants staff member Julia Daly on a walk through Haliburton Community Organic Farm to look for early spring arrivals (e.g. Rufous hummingbird, swallows, warblers, flycatchers) and other amazing birds of southeastern Vancouver Island. We’ll explore how different native plants provide vital resources, including food, nesting materials and habitat to native bird species in our area. Bring binoculars if you have them.
This is part of our Sunday Series, offering Free workshops on Sunday's through spring and summer.
We'll meet 8:00 a.m. Sunday April 15th at 741 Haliburton Road
Over the last 10,000 years Victoria’s dry climate and Indigenous land management activities have resulted in a unique array of plant species. Lucky for us, many of these are well-suited to home gardens and some are even drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and edible!
Participants will gain a better understanding of how gardening with native plants can help maintain local biodiversity, including the wildlife that depends on our native flora. This workshop will also give an overview of the great potential Victoria has in turning lawned areas to wildflower meadows.
Hosted by the Compost Education Centre
https://www.compost.bc.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/composteducation/
March 24, 2018 @ 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Native plants in home gardens are not only beautiful, but also a way to help maintain local biodiversity, promote positive human connections, and foster an appreciation of nature. Participants will learn about Victoria’s local ecology, including its abundance of unique plant species well-suited to home gardens, and the wildlife that depend on them. Edible, deer resistant, and drought tolerant species will be highlighted.
HCP Members $45
Non-Members $60
To register, call 250 479 6162
For more info and to register Click Here
Greater Victoria Public Library
Thu, 22 March 2018
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Join Kristen Miskelly of Saanich Native Plants for an in-depth look at propagating and growing native plants in the Capital Region. Kristen is the co-founder of Saanich Native Plants and has extensive experience in the region propagating and growing native plants in a variety of contexts. She'll discuss suitable plants in different locales and strategies for propagating and growing a wide variety of native plants.
Register Here!
The vegetation of southern Vancouver Island has been shaped by a variety of forces over the last ten thousand years. Ice ages and warm spells have left behind a curious juxtaposition of species that seem to belong in the frozen north beside species that may be more at home in the southern deserts. Landscape-scale management by Coast Salish civilizations over millennia has likewise left tell-tale signs in the plant community. In the last two hundred years, vegetation has been altered at an unprecedented rate. What do you see when you look at a forest, marsh, or meadow? What ancient stories do the plants tell?
Join Project Reclaim Youth at Saanich Native Plants Saturday, March 10th to learn how to identify, grow and use native plants from the WSÁNEĆ and Songhees/Lekwungen territory.
This event is open to all indigenous folks from the south island, although adults are encouraged to bring an indigenous youth along with them!
Please RSVP through this event, by text/call at 250-415-0201, or leave a comment that you will join us!
Food, Refreshments, Door Prizes and Transportation will be provided!
This year we are partnering with
the Native Plant Study Group for Victoria Seedy Saturday! Come to learn more
about native plants, hear about some of the great speakers and activities put
on by NPSG, and pick up a few plants or seeds. 10% of all plant and seed proceeds go to Native Plant Study Group Community Restoration Grant Fund!
We are bringing along some
spring favorites like Great Camas, White Fawn-Lily, Broad-leaved Shootingstar,
Western Trillium and more! Our packaged spring wildflower seed mixes can be sown now, and you can always trust
that our wildflower seeds are true local natives that are from field grown
plants without the use of herbicides, pesticides (including neonicotinoids of
course), or chemical fertilizers.
Check out http://npsg.ca/. Next meeting Thursday February 15th
Are you interested in including native plants into your garden or starting a wildflower meadow? Join Kristen Miskelly of Saanich Native Plants to learn about the many native plants well suited to home gardens, the conditions they prefer, and planting tips. This talk will also give an overview of how to create a wildflower meadow from scratch and show you some examples of where this is already happening.
Permaculture Design and Resilient Ecosystems - A new program being offered through Pacific Rim College! Staring January 2018.
A 1-year program that prepares graduates to be leaders in the field of permaculture and sustainable food and medicine systems. Individuals wishing to learn more about Permaculture Design and Resilient Ecosystems without enrolling in the full program are welcome.
Join Saanich Native Plants for Botany and Plant Identification. Gain a better understanding of plant diversity in our region and hone your botanical skills including identification, terminology, and plant morphology.
https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/faculties-programs/school-of-permaculture-design/
Join the SMWS and Saanich Native Plants in seeding native wildflowers at the Somenos Marsh Open Air Classroom. We are working on improving the biodiverstiy of the Somenos Marsh Conservation Area by removing exotic invasive plants and introducing native species that are adapted to the gravelly meadow habitat near the parking lot. (First pullout after Beverly Corners heading north on highway).
We will be preparing the site by raking and hand weeding then spreading a native wildflower mix that will germinate in the spring. We will also do a nature walk if time permits!
Please dress for the weather and bring water.
We will provide tools, snacks and drinks.
For more information or to RSVP please contact Elizabeth at programs@somenosmarsh.com or 250-884-0749.
Thanks to our funders at Environment and Climate Change Canada!!
Several experts from Haliburton Farm, in partnership with Royal Roads University, have put together a special educational opportunity that starts this October. The Haliburton EcoFarm School teaches organic food growing along with how to restore and enhance biodiversity on Farmlands, as well as connections with human health. Learn fundamental skills and knowledge for growing crops plus local ecology and techniques for ecosystem enhancement that improve crop yield and native habitats.
Biologists from Saanich Native Plants will be teaching:
- Ecosystem Restoration and Enhancement
- Ecology of Southern Vancouver Island
- Making wildflower meadows for pollinator benefits to Farms
- Introduction to Indigenous Food Systems
Also learn from John-Bradley Williams (W̱SÁNEĆ and Ahousat Nation) about Plants, Foods, and Medicines of the Saanich Peninsula
EcoFarm Fall Fundamentals is now open for registration at: https://secure.royalroads.ca/csco…/ecofarm-fall-fundamentals
Join Sunday, September 11th 11am to 1pm for the EcoFarm Information Session at 741 Haliburton Road
https://haliburtonfarm.org/educa…/haliburton-ecofarm-school/
Sunday July 23rd 2017
10am-12pm
May 13th 2017
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Road, Victoria
with Kristen Miskelly
This workshop will provide practical advice on how to convert conventional lawn to meadow habitat using a variety of techniques. Kristen Miskelly, biologist and owner of Saanich Native Plants, will guide participants through developing a site plan, site preparation, planning materials, and maintenance. Participants will go home with some of the tools needed to embark on their own lawn to meadow restorations.
Members $45
Non-Members $60
To sign up: Please call 250 479 6162.
http://hcp.ca/event/lawn-to-native-meadow/
What do bats, birds, bees, butterflies, beetles and flies have in common? They are all pollinators! For this BioBlitz, we will be focusing our identification efforts on pollinators and the native plants that support them. What will YOU discover?
When? 24-hours, from 4 pm Friday, May 12 to 4 pm Saturday, May 13 2017
Where? Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites, 603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd, Victoria, BC
What is a BioBlitz? A race against the clock to find and identify as many plants and animals as we can in 24-hours. This gives us a better idea of regional biodiversity and helps you learn more about local species and the roles they play in ecosystems.
April 29th, April 30th, May 6th
9a.m.-3p.m.
Royal Roads University, Continuing Studies
Facilitators: Kristen and James Miskelly
Registration Open
Garry oak ecosystems are among the most endangered habitats in Canada – reduced to less than 5% of their original range. Remaining areas are often degraded by invasive species and other stressors. Restoration can aid the recovery of these special places and provide a pathway for positive connections between nature and human communities. This course examines the ecology, plant identification, plants, and natural history of Garry oak ecosystems. You’ll learn field-tested practical techniques for enhancing degraded areas and methods for converting fields and lawns to native meadow. Field trips included.
April 8th 2017 THIS SATURDAY!
1:30p.m.-4:30p.m.
Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Road, Victoria
with Kristen Miskelly
Many people are interested in environmentally friendly and low maintenance gardens that will attract birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to their garden. By gardening with native plants, you can bring the beauty of southern Vancouver Island into your own backyard while also providing numerous other benefits.
Kristen Miskelly, biologist and owner of Saanich Native Plants, will provide information on our local ecology, caring for and maintaining a native plant garden, native plant identification, propagation techniques, and benefits of native plants to wildlife.
Special emphasis will be placed on the use of edible, deer resistant and drought tolerant species.
$45 HCP Members
$60 Non Members
To sign up: Please call 250 479 6162.
http://hcp.ca/event/the-native-plant-garden/
Openhouse this Saturday 12pm-2pm!
Program begins March 24th
Have you checked out the new Haliburton EcoFarm School?!
Certified organic farming methods, ecosystem restoration & biodiversity, and holistic nutrition.
Lead Instructors: Elmarie Roberts, Kristen Miskelly, Rhona McAdam
Join Saanich Native Plants to learn about the diversity of plants that can be used in raingardens around Victoria. We will discuss species options, comparisons of raingardens to natural wetlands, and wildlife/habitat values.
Where: Fernwood Community Centre
When: Tuesday, October 25th
Time: 6:30-8:30p.m.
Cost: $30
To register, call 250-381-1552 x100
Saturday, May 9, 2015
10:00am–2:00 pm
Calling all nature lovers, native plant gardeners and curious ecologists of all ages!
Come and experience the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve
at the height of its beauty at this family friendly nature festival.
This year's In Bloom Wildflower Festival promises to be a fun-filled day
of hands-on discovery and community fun
http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/british-columbia/stories/in-bloom.html
Detail of a camas painting by Colin Elder.
Kristen and James Miskelly will be here to talk about which native plants to use in your home garden, and
about the benefits of doing so! They started a native plant nursery in 2013, and will share some highlights from the
past couple of years. Kristen and James are both biologists passionate about local ecosystems, restoration,
conservation, and native plants, of course! James works mostly with rare species, ecological restoration, and ento-
mology. Kristen is the nursery manager and lead grower and also works as a contract botanist.
http://
https://www.facebook.com/SCHFIAS
http://www.cobblehillfair.ca/