You're invited to spend a day learning, talking, meeting, and growing at Seedy Saturday 2011. Mark February 19 on your calendars and get your tickets early!

We have a new venue! Dancing Creek in Vienna Ontario, is just five kilometers north of last year's location in Port Burwell. Paul and Laura Donelan have offered their beautiful, spacious renovated barn—we look forward to a bit more elbow room and better washroom facilities than in previous years. We are still selling advance tickets, though, so everyone can have a seat and enjoy all the events. Only if we do not sell out will tickets be available at the door. We are strictly limiting attendance to 80. Tickets are available on a first-come basis. Visit our tickets section for details and online ordering.

The morning workshop was so popular last year that we've decided to add another one. As well, there will be a new location for the early-bird nature walk: Doug Dennis' amazing Otter River Farms, just west of Vienna. We've asked Doug, along with members of the Otter Valley Naturalists Club, to lead a ramble through some of his 400 acres, much of which is an award-winning managed Carolinian forest. This is a rare treat for Seedy Saturday participants.

Gardeners will enjoy the "Seedy Saturday" part of the day (see sidebar on the left), which includes a seed swap table, and seed vendors. We have three terrific speakers, morning events,and much more. All for only $10! All proceeds (after expenses) are donated to Seeds of Diversity Canada.

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Days Events 2011

8:30 - 10:00 am	Early Bird Yoga at Dancing Creek. More details here: Morning Events
9:00 am	Nature/Bird Walk with Doug Dennis and members of the Otter Valley Naturalists Club. Free. Various distances & groups. Meet at Otter River Farms, 6 km west of Vienna. More details here: Morning Events
10:00 am	Tour of Dancing Creek. More details here: Morning Events
10:00 a.m.	Doors open (to people not attending yoga class) Complimentary coffee, tea and muffins.
11:00 - 12:00	Concurrent Workshops. "Garden Solutions—Literally" and (new!)"How to take great photos of your garden"More details here: Morning Events
12:00 noon	Lunch time. There will be lunch available (chili, bun, salad, apple— $3.00). Or bring your own bag lunch and eat on-site. Or try a local eatery. Vendors open Info tables and swap table opens
1:00 - 1:45	Kevin Kavanagh of South Coast Gardens "Pushing the zones at South Coast Gardens"
1:45 - 2:00	Questions, networking, browsing
2:00 - 2:45	Prof. Hugh Henry of UWO's Biology Department "Climate warming in southern Ontario: how will plants respond to changes in soil freezing over winter?"
2:45 - 3:00	Questions, networking, browsing
3:00 - 3:45	Kim Delaney of the National Farmers Union and Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds "Building garden resilience"
3:45 - 4:00	Questions, networking.
4:00 - 4:15	Sean Hurley & Bev Wagar Closing Remarks. Open mike for event and action anouncements.

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Tickets

Tickets are $10 each. There is no discount for children or seniors. Ticket price includes:

• all events and activities, including yoga, nature walk, morning workshops, venue tour, speakers
• unlimited enter / re-enter privileges
• beverages (tea, coffee) and light refreshments in the morning
• ticket does not include lunch. A light lunch (chili, salad, bun) will be available at Dancing Creek for $3.00 (cash only)

We don't give out physical "tickets"--just show up, introduce yourself at the door, and we'll find you on the guest list.

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Speakers

Pushing the Zones at South Coast Gardens Many gardeners confess that they often look southward to milder gardening zones with some envy at the myriad of tender plants seemingly unsuitable for their own backyard. Kevin Kavanagh, owner of South Coast Gardens, situated along the north shore of Lake Erie, began gardening in his youth in Quebec's Eastern Townships. Now designing gardens for clients in the comparative warmth of southern Ontario, Kevin continues to enjoy testing the hardiness of plants from warmer climates to assess their suitability for gardening in south-western Ontario. Carefully siting plants in microclimates and in some cases offering modest winter cover, he has succeeded in growing hardy selections of Southern Magnolia , Arizona Cypress, Needle Palm, Laurel Oak, and Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) at his nursery location.

As well, he is currently testing the local suitability of more than 150 varieties of Rhododendrons and Azaleas and close to 70 varieties of Magnolia. In the course of assessing plant hardiness, he has developed some simple techniques to help species survive in zones beyond their normal winter tolerance and will present some of these methods in his presentation. Kevin will also present information on changing garden zones under the influence of a warming global climate and highlight a selection of sub-tropical species ideally suited to outdoor containers that can help to add "a touch of the south" to any garden design in our warmer months. View Kevin's complete bio (pdf).

Climate warming in southern Ontario : how will plants respond to changes in soil freezing over winter? Frost damage is a concern for many gardeners in southern Ontario . With climate warming we expect to experience shorter, and milder winters, which might be expected to reduce freezing damage to overwintering plants. However, snow cover is also expected to decrease over winter. Snow is very effective at insulating soil from cold air temperatures, and we therefore may experience the paradox of warmer winters, but more variable and intense soil freezing in southern Ontario over the next century. In addition to the direct effects of freezing on plants, freezing can affect plants indirectly by modifying soil structure, soil moisture and microbial communities, and in some cases promoting losses of soil nutrients. Prof. Henry will present an overview of the research he has conducted on winter warming in natural systems, and discuss his results in the context of gardening in Ontario. Overall, climate change over winter promises to provide gardeners with some unique challenges in the decades to come.

Hugh Henry is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Western Ontario. He specializes in the areas of plant and ecosystem ecology, and is particularly interested in how plants and soil microorganisms interact to regulate and respond to nutrient availability in natural systems. He has conducted research in areas ranging from salt marshes in the Arctic, to grasslands in northern California, and more recently his research has focused on plant responses to soil freezing in southern Ontario . Visit Prof. Henry's UWO web page.

"Building Resilience in Your Garden". Climate change brings weather extremes— storms, droughts, rain, snow in unexpected quantity, quality and time of year. Kim's business depends on adequate harvests, and she's learned how to deal with many kinds of environmental adversity over the years. She'll talk about her experience as a farmer, seed producer, and activist. Kim is a "regular" at our Seedy Saturdays and, no matter what she talks about, she's always relevant, interesting and, best of all, a wealth of useful information.

Kim Delaney is a farmer based in Palmerston Ontario. Her business, Hawthorn Farm produces certified organic seeds for vegetables, herbs and flowers, focusing on heirlooms and public plant breeding releases. Kim's interest in seed production came as a result of many years of seed collection and production in a tallgrass prairie restoration program based in Chatham Ontario. On-farm vegetable breeding and selection for short season growing continue to fuel her passion for seed.

Kim and her partner live off-grid, in a strawbale house surrounded by acres of meadow and woodland. She is the womens advisor the National Farmers Union of Ontario and sits on the board of the Centre for Applied Renewable Energy. Kim is committed to the production of healthy food and clean energy.

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Vendors

Hawthorn Farm	Certified organic, heirloom seeds to preserve the genetic diversity of our crops and gardens. A large selection of rare and unusual seeds, mostly vegetables, will be for sale. Owner Kim Delaney will be on hand to answer your questions. www.hawthornfarm.ca
Acorus Restoration & Native Plants	After 11 years as wholesale nursery Acorus' new retail operations include gardens, trails, guided walks, and workshops. Acorus brings a fine range of native plant seeds for landscaping and gardens.www.ecologyart.com
Florabunda	New for 2011! Seeds from Florabunda. Dirk can't be here in person but he's sent a nice selection of his seeds for us to sell. Florabunda has a huge selection of unusual, heirloom and rare flower seeds.
Seeds of Diversity Canada	Seeds of Diversity will have an information table and seeds for sale.
St. Thomas Field Naturalists	St. Thomas Field Naturalists will have an information table.

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Contact Info

The 2011 event is sponsored by Dancing Creek retreat centre.

Bayham-area Seedy Saturdays are planned and organized by Bev Wagar and Sean Hurley of Vienna Ontario. For more information, please send us an e-mail at seedysaturday@theviennacafe.ca or phone us at 519-200-9319.

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Maps and Directions

Gardening in a New Climate will be held at Dancing Creek Retreat Center in Vienna, 20 km. south of Tillsonburg in Southwestern Ontario.

35 Chapel Street
PO Box 135
Vienna, Ontario
Canada, N0J 1Z0

Phone: 519.874.1707
Web site: www.dancingcreek.ca

Parking There is a small parking lot to the left of the barn. You may also park on the street.

Driving directions

-from London: Go east on the 401 and take exit #216 at Hwy (Culloden Road). Proceed south on Culloden Road, through Brownsville, and cross Hwy. 3 / Talbot Line. Continue south on Culloden to where it ends at Heritage Line/ CR 38. Turn left / west until you reach Straffordville. In Straffordville turn right/south onto Hwy 19/Plank Road. Continue south on Plank Road into Vienna. In Vienna, just after you cross the second bridge, turn left on Chapel Street (look for the Dancing Creek sign). Go up the hill. Dancing Creek is on your left.
-from points east: take the 401 to the Woodstock area. Take exit #232 (Hwy. 59 (Norwich Ave.) and proceed south. At Salford Road take CR 13 (Rock Mills Rd,) south through Springford. Proceed south, cross Hwy. 3 in Courtland, and turn right/west onto Colonel Talbot (CR 38/Heritage Line). In Straffordville turn left / south onto Hwy 19/ Plank Rd. and continue south to Vienna. In Vienna, just after you cross the second bridge, turn left on Chapel Street (look for the Dancing Creek sign). Go up the hill. Dancing Creek is on your left.

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Info for Media

Our 2011 flyer:
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Financials 2011

Sean and I organize an annual Seedy Saturday event as citizens and Seeds of Diversity members. We are not under the umbrella or auspices of an organization, church, or service club. Our relationship with Dancing Creek arises from our use of their building, which they allow us to use for a small fee.

After expenses, all of the income is donated to Seeds of Diversity Canada. This is typically $350 - $400.

Bev Wagar, organizer: 519-200-9319 seedysaturday@theviennacafe.ca

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