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It’s just the most impressive collection of gardening expertise ever assembled. Your weeds don’t stand a chance.
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Meet the gardeners
Jon Peter
Peter has diplomas in horticulture from the University of Guelph and the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture. Jon worked at some of the finest botanical institutions in North America, including the Arnold Arboretum, The Morton Arboretum & the New York Botanical Garden. Jon is curator and manager of plant documentation at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Sims, a retired educator, has been a member of Halton Region Master Gardeners since 2005 and is currently the past president of Master Gardeners of Ontario. She is passionate about gardening, and loves to attract and observe wildlife in her garden. Over the years, she’s gained a better appreciation of the role and beauty of native plants in our gardens.
Parker has worked at a nursery with woody plants, and had her own garden design and consultation business. She volunteers on the gardening hotlines at the Royal Botanical Gardens and for Halton Master Gardeners. Parker loves the challenge of designing and creating beauty among the wonderful old trees in her garden.
Tena van Andel
Van Andel has volunteered with the Toronto Master Gardeners and the Master Gardeners of Ontario since 2003. She writes and lectures on everything and anything gardening. Her latest adventures include re-wilding a 19th-century northern Ontario farm and teaching a functional fitness class just for gardeners.
Cesaroni is a Toronto Master Gardener. She studied horticulture and garden design while living in England. Native plants are of special interest. Blurring the line between ecology and horticulture, she loves to recommend easy to grow native plants that are perfect for the birds, bees and insects of any urban garden.
Patty King
King has been a master gardener since 2007. She faces the challenges of a large garden, and battles with invasive plants, weeds and animals daily. Trees and native plants are held close to her heart. She still writes a blog on her garden, and has another on the history of women and gardens.
Drozdov is a Master Gardener whose garden is designed with flowers, fragrance and wildlife in mind. She’s the author of the thriller Blood Relative, first book in the Niagara Noir series. You can follow her on Twitter too.
She is most at home on a trail, but now her trails are at home, where she loves exploring and designing with plants. She studied landscape design and volunteered with local conservation associations to restore habitat. Janet has been a member of Master Gardeners of Ontario since 2015.
Did you know?
Master Gardeners in Ontario are experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture extensively and continue to upgrade their skills yearly through technical training. Master Gardeners start out as master gardeners-in-training until they complete the educational and volunteer component of the mandate. Master Gardeners and master gardeners-in-training provide free garden advice to the public by participating in volunteer activities such as garden advice clinics, answering questions via email and now in online chats.
