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. Click to view: Resources- Garden Club News

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
FOR THIS ONLINE EVENT!

Click here to purchase your ticket.

This event is free to MMGA members.
Please login to our member section to register. 

Did you miss our Invasive Ornamentals
educational event on April 1?

Click on the links below to read and download MMGA handouts about invasive ornamentals and presenter notes, and click on links to videos below for Cathy Kavassalis, Andrea Eastham, and Kristin Pingatore presentations.

Click to read:

MMGA Shortlist of Invasive Ornamentals

Manitoba Invasive Ornamental Plants LD

Cathy Kavassalis Talk – April 1 2023

Andrea Eastham Talk – April 1 2023

Click to view:

Members Presenting in our Communities!

Colleen Zacharias – Hydrangeas
September 20/23 – 7pm
Brandon Garden Club
Lady of the Lake, 135B 17th St. North, Brandon, MB 

Please click on Events Calendar for more details!

Chat with the Gardeners – viewable now!

Lourdes Still and Raymond Ngarboui – An International Perspective

Lisa Renner and Derek Yarnell – The Naturalized Urban Gardeners

Wilbert Ronald and Philip Ronald – The Horticultural Influencers

Gardening in the Heart – Season 2

Wilbert Ronald – The Plant Makers

Philip Ronald – Growing Fruit on the Prairies

Lourdes Still – Masagana Flower Farm

Raymond Ngarboui – Land in Canada

Derek Yarnell – More Butterflies Please

Thank you to Colleen Zacharias for featuring the Gardening in the Heart season 2 in the Winnipeg Free Press!  Read Here

Gardening in the Heart Season 1 can be viewed below.

Look for our New Signs in the Community!
These are Projects where we Volunteer

Gardening in the Heart Season 1

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 to view the article.Master Gardeners and Master Gardener Interns

Association members:  Access volunteer opportunities on the Volunteer Impact page which are added frequently.  Click here for the direct links.  

Book Sale!
Perfect for a gift for any gardener or yourself!

$10.00 plus shipping if required
Retail is $24.95

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, Master Gardener

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.

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
Green Oak Gardens, Beausejour, MB
Jardins St-Leon Gardens, 419 St. Mary’s Rd.,Wpg.
Jensen’s Nursery & Garden Centre, 2550 McGillivray Blvd., Wpg.
Lacoste Garden Centre, 2787 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg.
Red Valley Plant Market, 3091 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg.
Ron Paul Garden Centre, Winnipeg
Sage Gardens Greenhouses, 3410 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg.
Schriemer’s Greenhouse, 2857 McGregor Farm Rd., Birds Hill
Shelmerdine Nursery & Garden Centre, 7800 Roblin Blvd., Headingley, MB
St. Mary’s Nursery & Garden Centre, 2901 St. Mary’s Rd., Wpg.
The Green Spot, 139 Rosser Ave., E., Brandon
T&T Seeds, 7724 Roblin Blvd., Headingley, MB

To all Manitoba garden/horticultural or garden-related organizations!

 
For all inquiries contact ask@mgmanitoba.com