Mixing It Up – Beyond Beauty

2025 Conference mixingitup.org – one-day event
on Sat., Feb 1st at Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney, BC
9am to 4:30pm

Mixing It Up – Beyond Beauty Conference is put on by the Victoria Master Gardeners (VMGA), find out who VMGA are: https://mgabc.org/victoria

Five incredible speakers will share how adding biodiversity creates healthy and beautiful gardens!

1. The Homegrown National Park: Plant native, regenerate biodiversity by Dr. Doug Tallamy (Sponsored by Russell Nursery) – How we can contribute to a homegrown national park, vital to future protection and restoration of
our local ecological network.

2. Mix it up: Design with native and non-native plants by Heidi Hitchcock (Sponsored by VMGA Member Amanda Bailey) – Designing a garden to encompass current and future ecological and environmental issues with an
eye to beauty.

3. Mind What You Sow by Maria Valana (Sponsored by Wildwood Outdoor Living) – Fundamentals of mindfully growing from seed with all the practical implications.

4. Citizen Science in the Garden by Dr. Brian Starzomski (Sponsored by Gardener’s Kit) – How to participate in citizen science projects and how this can contribute to gardening decisions for biodiversity.

5. Trees in an Urban Environment by Dr. Thomas Smiley (Sponsored by Bartlett Tree Experts) – the common stresses of our urban trees and the treatments needed to improve the trees’ health.