Leaside Garden Society – Speaker Series presents:

 

Speaker: Desré Kramer

Topic: Growing Vegetables, From A-Z: The Basics of Vegetable Growing

Date: Thursday April 10th 2025

Time: 7:00 pm (refreshments at 6:30 pm)

Location: The Leaside Library (165 McRae Drive)

 

I’m a gardener, re-greener, scientist and plant lover. Although I’ll try growing almost anything for fun my core interest is using gardens, parks, and other public spaces to re-green the ecology of where we live. I’m the author of “How to Make a Pollinator Garden”, and practice what I preach, having helped create many pollinator gardens in front yards, city parks, and roadsides.

I have a particular interest in what it takes to make grassroots re-greening initiatives successful. I was on the Advisory Board of the City of Toronto’s Pollinator Protection program, and I do workshops with groups wanting to create green oases in their neighbourhoods.

I study insects – their behaviour, their genetics, and the “big-data” area called genomics. Among the insects, bees are a special focus.

I’ve been a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (honeybee professionals) and I received the Canadian Pollinator Advocate award for 2011 from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. I’m an adjunct professor at York University and VP of the Horticultural Societies of Parkdale & Toronto. I helped found the Parkdale society in 1987 and Project Swallowtail in 201

Presentation: Growing Vegetables, From A-Z: The Basics of Vegetable Growing

Growing (and eating) your own vegetables has so many benefits! Come and discover the joy of growing your own food. You can’t beat the taste, and you save money while doing it. We’ll cover all the bases including planning new garden beds, the importance of soil, starting seeds indoors, crop rotation, caring for your plants, feeding/fertilizing and maximizing productivity by extending the growing season. 

Guests are welcome! Contact leaside@gardenontario.org for more information