Garden Fundamentals will focus on ornamental gardens including trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and grasses. You will gain a good understanding of how these plants grow and their relationship with the soil. We’ll cover lots of practical topics such as planting, maintenance, plant selection, sun/shade requirements, and Robert will give you some of his top picks. This course is suitable for the beginner and intermediate gardener.

Week 1: Techniques - Gardening techniques will be discussed including making new beds, raised beds, composting, crop rotation, mulching and cover crops.
Week 2: Vegetables - This week Robert will discuss growing vegetables from seed including how to start them indoors, transplanting, selecting the right kind, summer care and harvesting.
Week 3: Starting from Seeds - This session is about more advanced topics on seeds including collecting, cleaning, storing, stratification etc. He will also provide the all the information you need to start any seed you want including trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials.
Week 4: Trees and Shrubs - An introduction to trees and shrubs. Selecting, planting, growing them for success. As well as an introduction to pruning them.
Week 5: Perennials - This will be a start to finish course of perennials including selecting, growing planting, dividing. Robert will discuss different types of perennials and how to design with them.
Week 6: Bulbs and Grasses - Spring bulbs, summer bulbs and perennial grasses. They are all essential for a garden that flowers all season long.
Week 7: Pests, Diseases and Garden Myths - This will be a short introduction to pests and diseases, explaining how Robert handles problems in the garden. The second half of the night will look at a wide range of garden myths.

Robert is a Master Gardener and garden writer who publishes two popular gardening blogs and has published several gardening books. He owns and operates a private botanical garden where he grows over 3,000 different varieties of plants.

Fee: $10 (plus HST) per person, per session or sign up for all 7 and get one free ($60 instead of $70). Please note: You must sign up for all 7 at once in a single transaction to receive the discount.

[3]

 

Do you have a fruit tree in your life that you'd like to care for? This is a hands-on workshop on fruit tree pruning, using apple trees on The Arboretum grounds to demonstrate proper techniques. You'll learn how to prune for ideal branch structure, how restore old apple trees, how to train new trees for early productivity, and how pruning integrates with other elements of fruit tree care, such as holistic pest & disease management.  

Fee: $65 (plus HST) per person if booked before the early bird deadline of Monday, March 2, 2026. After the early bird deadline the fee is $75 (plus HST)

[3]

 

Join Robert Pavlis as he discusses how to create Healthy Soil. Below is a description of what he will discuss each week. You can sign up for one, two or all three of the workshops.

Week 1 - Soil Basics - What is soil and how do the basic components work together to provide a plant's needs? How do various gardening techniques affect soil and what is good soil?
Week 2 - Nutrients and Fertilizers - The role nutrients play in plant health and how plants get their nutrients. The role of the rhizosphere. How and when to use synthetic and organic fertilizers.
Week 3 - The Secret to Healthy Soil - What is healthy soil and how does a gardener develop the best soil in the neighborhood to grow great plants.

Robert is a Master Gardener and garden writer who publishes two popular gardening blogs and has published several gardening books. He owns and operates a private botanical garden where he grows over 3,000 different varieties of plants.

Fee: $10 (plus HST) per person, per session. The cost for all 3 sessions is $30 (plus HST)

[3]

 

This half-day workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of pruning woody plants and aims to provide you with basic skills to confidently approach pruning in your own landscape. We begin with how to form pruning strategies, including choosing and maintaining equipment and understanding plant growth and timing. Pruning cuts and techniques will be discussed, demonstrated, and practiced together outdoors. This workshop's focus is on a wide variety of woody plants, please see the "Restoring Fruit Trees Workshop" for a fruit tree specific workshop.

Fee: $65 (plus HST) per person if booked before the early bird deadline of Monday, March 17, 2026. After the early bird deadline the fee is $75 (plus HST)

[3]

 

Come, brave the cold, and see the stars! Members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be setting up astronomical telescopes for private viewings. Come see winter constellations like Taurus, Gemini, and Orion, as well as star clusters, nebulae, and many other curious objects in the beautiful winter Milky Way. Later, as winter melts into spring, we may even view a few distant galaxies.

Our goal is to run 2 of the following programs:
Thursday, November 27, 2025, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 26, 2026, 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 28, 2026, 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.

The weather makes stargazing very unpredictable and therefore hard to schedule. Instead of opening up registration for all of these dates and having to cancel some of them, we are instead going to have everyone who is interested sign up on a list (there is no fee to do this). To sign up on the list click on the link to register for workshops and you will find the link for the list in the list of workshops.

The morning of each of the above listed dates we will send an email out by 10:30 AM to let you know whether the instructors are going to run the program or not. Their decision will be based both on the sky and the weather (ie. if it is forecasted to be excessively cold the program will not run). The registration will open when we send the email out. Anyone can register for the program regardless of whether they are on the sign up list or not.

Fee: $19 (plus HST) per person, per session. Please note these programs are non-refundable once you register and pay for them.

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Cara Loft is a Haudenosaunee Woman and staff member in the Office of Teaching and Learning at the University of Guelph. We are so grateful for her coming back to enrich our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits throughout story this winter. 

Friday January 30th - Story of the Little People

Friday February 27th

Friday March 27th - Story of the Maple (Instructors: Cara Loft and Melissa Ireland)

Friday April 24th

We will start in a good way with song and smudge.

Fee: FREE (Registration required)

[3]

A breathtaking ascent to the skies, a graceful fall to the ground, and a mesmerizing, yet quirky, call… PEENT. The sky dance of the American Woodcock is a truly incredible spectacle, and we at The Arboretum invite you to join us in a search for this captivating display! Our Woodcock Walk begins at the Nature Centre, where we’ll unveil some of the mystery behind these aerial acrobats before heading into the field with hopes of witnessing their enchanting performance in person.

Fee: $12 (plus HST) per person.

[3]

 

Are you interested in learning how to use sketching as a way to improve your plant identification skills? In this afternoon workshop Mary Anne Young will teach the basics of field botany and how to use sketching as a way to observe and record information to assist with identification. After learning techniques (both fast and slow) for capturing plant form, structure, and beauty we will practice our skills while exploring various collections and natural spaces of the Arboretum. All experience levels welcome.

Please bring the following supplies:
- a sketchbook (min. 6x9” size)
- pencils (one H, one HB, and one 2B recommended)

The art supplies are available for purchase at places such as Wyndham Art Supplies, Michaels, or Dollarama.
Click here for an example of the sketchbook: https://dollarama.instacart.com/store/dollarama/products/25062201-davinci-40-sheet-spiral-sketch-book-pad-40-ct [4]

Fee: $55 (plus HST) per person if you register by the early bird deadline of May 15, 2026. After May 15 the fee is $65 plus HST.

[3]

 

Join Artist Candice Leyland for an inspiring and immersive plein air watercolour class, where The Arboretum becomes your studio! Whether you're a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, this class offers a unique opportunity to capture the beauty of the outdoors with vibrant watercolours.

What to Expect:

• Expert Instruction: Learn from experienced artist who will guide you through techniques and tips for painting en plein air.
• Beautiful Locations: Explore picturesque landscapes and let the natural surroundings inspire your creativity.
• Hands-On Practice: Enjoy plenty of painting time with personalized feedback to help you improve your skills.
• All Levels Welcome: Tailored instruction to suit all skill levels, from beginners to advanced artists.

Don't miss this chance to enhance your artistic journey and connect with fellow art enthusiasts in a beautiful outdoor setting. Reserve your spot today and let your creativity flow!

Registrants must be age 14+.

Supplies:
Bring what you have that is easy to carry. Pan Watercolours are best, but we can make anything work.

• Watercolour Paints: A set of professional-grade watercolours in tubes or pans. Recommended colors include:
  • Hansa Yellow or Cadmium Yellow Light
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Phthalo Blue
  • Cadmium Red Light
  • Alizarin Crimson
  • Viridian or Phthalo Green
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Burnt Umber
• Watercolour Brushes: A variety of brushes, such as:
  • Round brushes (#12 or 14, #6 or 8)
  • Flat brushes (#14)
• Watercolour Paper: High-quality, 140 lb. paper (9” x 12” or larger).
• Palette: A palette with a large mixing area (8x10 inches or larger).
• Water Containers: Jars with lids for clean and dirty water.
• Paper Towels or Cloths: For blotting and cleaning brushes.
• Pencil and Eraser: For sketching your composition.
• Portable Easel: (optional) A portable easel that can be adjusted for horizontal painting. An easel is not required. A board and a folding chair or a picnic blanket is a great, simple option.

Optional Supplies:

• Portable Chair: For comfort while painting.
• Hat and Sunscreen: To protect yourself from the sun.
• Bug Spray: To keep insects at bay.
• Backpack or Tote Bag: To carry all your supplies

Fee: $65 (plus HST) per person if you register before the early bird deadline of May 16, 2025. After that date the fee is $75 (plus HST) per person.

[3]

Explore the complex relationship between nature and literature in this guided walk. We will look at the interaction between trees and books through a scientific and cultural lens. Learn about the role trees have played in storytelling, through their role in printmaking and how humans understand themselves and tell their stories. Gain a better understanding of biological concepts in arboriculture to help you "read" a tree and see how the characters of wind, sunlight and rain act as characters in each tree's story.

Fee: $15 (plus HST) per person.

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This program is offered to specifc groups. If you would like more information please contact us.
Fee: FREE!
This online series is catered to University of Guelph international students and other community members new to Canada. New to the area? Come with us to explore The Arboretum and learn about what you can find in nature throughout the winter, spring, summer, and fall!
Visit the Nature Throughout the Seasons for International Students and New Canadians Series program page [5] to learn more and register for upcoming dates. Please note that at this time this program is being offered to a special group instead of as a public program. If you are part of a group that is interested, please contact us for further information.