Master Gardeners are individuals who are passionate about gardening. We are part of a vast international non-profit Master Gardener organization. Master Gardeners are a respected group of horticultural persons educated and certified through accredited universities or colleges.
Mission Statement:
The Manitoba Master Gardener Association (MMGA) cultivates the development and continuous education of Master Gardeners, supports volunteerism and encourages sustainable, proven gardening practices throughout Manitoba.
The Manitoba Master Gardener Association (MMGA) is an independent organization and has no affiliation with other Manitoba garden clubs which are listed under the banner.
Resources- Garden Club News
Thank you to all who ordered!!
Annette Schewe, Master Gardener volunteering in Steinbach, MB
A wonderful example of our members volunteering in the community.
Read Here
Gardening in the Heart
a 6-part video series of private Manitoba gardens
Lisa Renner – Designing a Garden Naturally
John Tinkler – A Designer’s Garden
Colleen Zacharias – A Gardening Workshop
Linda Cameron – A Scientist in Her Garden
Diana Dhaliwal – At Home in the Prairies
Millennium Gardens – A Garden for a Community
Bell MTS subscribers available on FIBE TV1 Channel 1 and 1001 Lifestyles folder!
A big thank you to Colleen Zacharias for this Winnipeg Free Press article highlighting the journey to producing these films: Click Here
Link to the Nadia Kidwai CBC morning show interview Click here
Book Sale!
Garden pests are a part of the life of every gardener. If you want to learn more how to deal with them in an environmentally friendly way then this is the book for you. Gardening, Naturally – By Hugh Skinner and Sara Williams.
The MMGA is offering the book, published by Coteau Books, Regina in 2011, for $10.00/copy, plus shipping cost. It is being made available to members of the MMGA and the general public.
To place your order e-mail: volunteers@mgmanitoba.com
Please specify your preference for pick-up or mail delivery. You will receive payment information upon receipt of your order.
Gardening Naturally – Book Review
By Liz Sellors, Interim Director of Educational Standards
Gardening, Naturally is a chemical-free handbook for the prairie gardener, co-authored by Hugh Skinner and Sara Williams. The book was written in 2011 and was published by Coteau Books of Regina, Saskatchewan. Gardening Naturally is a well written and easy-to-use guide specifically intended for Canadian prairie gardeners who are interested in effective ways of eradicating pests and diseases from the garden without resorting to chemicals. The book addresses alternatives to the use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Chemical products intended for use by gardeners were developed in the late 1940’s. Until that time solutions for addressing pests and diseases in the garden were largely based on folk wisdom, much of which began to be lost once chemicals were introduced. But, over the last few decades, environmental movements have once again looked to natural ways of dealing with garden pests and diseases. With the move to green solutions, scientifically based alternatives have begun to emerge and are gaining notice. It was the emerging interest in alternatives to chemicals for the garden that was the inspiration behind Gardening, Naturally.
The over-arching theme of this well-laid-out, well-illustrated book of alternatives to chemical use in the garden addresses the fundamentals of maintaining a healthy garden through natural means. The book first examines the history of controlling pests and diseases in the garden, starting with a look at the use of organic solutions that had been developed over centuries, and how they began to be replaced by the successful marketing campaigns of the companies producing chemical solutions for gardeners. The promotion of the idea that chemicals were the answer to the perfect garden was in reality a concept that ensured repeat business by making plants dependent on chemicals. The result was unimaginable harm. Gardening, Naturally points the way to a return to dealing with garden issues organically.
Through the use of alternatives to insecticides, herbicides and pesticides, the book demonstrates how to ensure that the basic needs of plants are met. The book is well researched and scientifically based. It not only looks at how to work with natural products, but also addresses why change is crucial. It looks at the importance of changing our attitude toward insects; the importance of identifying of insects and why their survival is crucial to human survival. It looks at essential garden practices like soil testing, water conservation, effective organic lawn care and weed control. It looks at growing food successfully without chemicals and recommends the best vegetables to grow in the prairie garden. Other sections are devoted to flowers, bulbs, and vines suitable for the prairies. It also includes a comprehensive section on trees and shrubs for the prairie gardener.
Friends of the Earth Canada is pleased to publish A Flower Patch for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee and Other Native Pollinators in the Greater Toronto Area, working with authors Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla, illustrator Ann Sanderson, and the City of Toronto to make this resource available.
A Flower Patch for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee provides powerful tools for taking action to support and protect native bees by creating habitat where we live, work and gather as communities. There is much that needs to be done to protect bees, but growing a flower patch is one action we can all take now to make a positive difference.
Click Here for your free download.
Master Gardeners and Master Gardeners in Training (MGIT)
Association members: access volunteer opportunities on the Member Login page frequently. Also, new important messages and items that have arisen at MMGA Board meetings.
Support our Local Manitoba Greenhouses!
A very special “Thank You” to local garden centres who generously give members of our Manitoba Master Gardener Association a 10% discount on regularly priced plants and garden merchandise. As Master Gardeners let’s give local garden centres our support and keep them in business. Let them know how much we appreciate them, their plants and their expertise. Remember this is a mutually beneficial relationship! Here are the names of participating 10% off donors:
Alternative Landscaping Ltd., 34th St. & Patricia Ave., Brandon, MB www.alternativelandscapingltd.com
Green Oak Gardens, Beausejour, MB – https://www.greenoak.ca/
Jardins St-Leon Gardens, 419 St. Mary’s Rd.,Wpg. – www.stleongardens.com
Jensen’s Nursery & Garden Centre, 2550 McGillivray Blvd., Wpg. – http://www.jensennursery.com/
Lacoste Garden Centre, 2787 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg. – www.lacostegardencentre.com
Red Valley Plant Market, 3091 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg. – www.redvalley.ca
Ron Paul Garden Centre, Winnipeg – www.ronpaulgardencentre.com
Sage Gardens Greenhouses, 3410 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg. – www.sagegarden.ca
Schriemer’s Greenhouse, 2857 McGregor Farm Rd., Birds Hill – www.schriemers.com
Shelmerdine Nursery & Garden Centre, 7800 Roblin Blvd., Headingley, MB – www.shelmerdine.com
The Green Spot, 139 Rosser Ave., E., Brandon – www.greenspotbrandon.com
T&T Seeds – 7724 Roblin Blvd., Headingley, MB – https://ttseeds.com/
To all Manitoba Garden/Horticultural or Garden related organizations!!
This website is a great opportunity for your organization to post or advertise meeting schedules or events on our Resources section under Garden Club News. To submit please send your information to: mndudek@mgmanitoba.com We look forward to helping you advertise your event.
For all inquiries contact ask@mgmanitoba.com
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| Shade Love it or Hate it, Don’t be Afraid of It! 6:30 pm Shade Love it or Hate it, Don’t be Afraid of It! @ Zoom meeting online Jun 1 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm  Master Gardener Sandy Venton presenter – Are you wondering which plants thrive in shade? This presentation provides a pictorial of shade-loving perennials, showcasing the various types, colours and shapes in her north-facing shade bed. A Zoom Link to … | Rain Garden Primer – a Good Option for your Landscape? 12:00 pm Rain Garden Primer – a Good Option for your Landscape? @ Zoom meeting online Jun 2 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Rain Garden Primer – A Good Option for Your Landscape? – Ecological Landscape Alliance Are you wondering what a rain garden is and whether a rain garden can help your landscape? Join us for a primer on these … | |||||
| Growing Roses on the Prairies 12:00 pm Growing Roses on the Prairies @ Zoom meeting online Jun 10 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm  Fran Wershler, Master Gardener and former writer and editor of The Prairie Garden, will offer some tips and tricks on how you can successfully grow roses in our prairie climate. A Zoom link is sent when you register. … Aki Centre, a Land-Based Centre 7:00 pm Aki Centre, a Land-Based Centre @ Zoom meeting online Jun 10 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm PNGG MB Presents the Aki Centre, A Land-Based Learning Centre The Blue Thunderbird Land-Based Teachings Learning Centre (Ozhaawashkwaa Animikii-Bineshi Aki Onji Kinimaagae’Inun or Aki Centre) is located at 1985 Grassmere Blvd in West St. Paul, Manitoba and is … | Getting the Most Our of Your Garden 10:30 am Getting the Most Our of Your Garden @ Zoom meeting online Jun 12 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am  Mike Mailman: will present on how best to harvest your garden. Sign up to receive the zoom link. Register Here | |||||
| The Potted Garden – Growing Vegetables in Containers 6:30 pm The Potted Garden – Growing Vegetables in Containers @ Zoom meeting online Jun 15 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Have you always wanted to grow some vegetables or herbs, but don’t have the space for a garden? Florence Carey, a Master Gardener in Training from the Manitoba Master Gardener Association, will provide a primer for new gardeners … | Fundamentals of Garden Layers 12:00 pm Fundamentals of Garden Layers Jun 16 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm  When designing any garden, there is an opportunity to eschew the norms of beauty as the only priority. With careful planning, we can create a space that works in harmony with nature, expands biodiversity, builds healthy soil, and … | |||||
