Landscape Design Series (Online)

Tuesday, January 19 - Tuesday, February 2

Whether you’re designing a small green entrance to your home or an expansive backyard oasis, this online class will equip you with the essential principles of landscape design. Join Janis Matson, horticulturist and owner of Shoreline Landscape Design, for this 3-part workshop series. Learn foundational concepts of design, such as soil, slope, sun exposure, and irrigation. Expand your learning with the principles and elements of design like focal points, scale, colour, balance, and more. Bring photos or drawings of your garden and work on your own property’s design with feedback and insight from the instructor. Leave inspired and ready to design your garden.

Supporting Wild Birds Through Winter (Online)

Saturday, January 23 10:00am - 11:30am

Join the VBGA and the Vancouver Avian Research Centre (VARC) to explore how birds benefit our ecosystems. Take a closer look at species that stay year-round, and how to help them survive through the colder months. This talk will delve into the challenges birds face and the science helping to protect them. Learn what you can do to create bird-friendly spaces helping our feathered friends thrive.

Design Your Indoor Micro-Farm (Online)

Saturday, February 6 10am - 11:45am

Transform your home or small garden into an urban micro-farm in this online lecture presented by sustainable design professional Dr. Yael Stav. In this holistic class, explore living walls, vermi-compost, window farms, and other indoor planting systems to add edible greenery to your home without taking up much space. Learn principles of planning your garden, managing water and light requirements, and which plants are most suitable.

Botanical Illustration Level 1 (Online)

Wednesday, February 10 - Wednesday, February 24

Learn how to draw plants from an aesthetic and botanical perspective while improving your observation and artistic skills. This 3-session course is ideal for anyone wishing to approach a beginner level of botanical drawing. Instructor Katharine Dickinson will guide students through contour and gesture drawing exercises, followed by longer studies using line and tonal drawing techniques.

Collage of Watercolour (Online)

Thursday, February 18 11:00am - 1:00pm

With just a few brush strokes, join this workshop to see what your paints and paper can do. Learn how to make bright watercolours without going muddy. Focus on the 3 primary colours of reds, yellows, and blues to create a patchwork of many colours. Experiment by allowing your colours to bleed into each other, or practice containing your colours in this creative and colourful online class.

Spring Plants for Pollinators & Beneficial Insects (Online)

Saturday, February 20 10:00am - 11:30am

Artist, author, and educator Lori Weidenhammer joins the VBGA to offer a beginner’s guide on gardening to feed people and pollinators alike. Her book Victory Gardens for Bees discusses strategies for supporting the declining bee population, including pollinator identification, habitat-building, and planting guides. Whether you’re learning to grow your own gardens on boulevards, yards, or balconies, this class will provide you the foundation for building your own victory garden for the bees this spring.