Next NPSG Meeting and Speaker:
Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 7:00pm
ON ZOOM
Growing Native Ferns: from spores to garden-ready plants
with Patrick on Aderkas
Where: ZOOM
When: Thursday January 19, 2023 07:00 PM Pacific (NOTE: Please arrive at 6:45 for intros if desired)
Register in advance for this meeting on Zoom
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. NOTE: Some email accounts from Outlook and Hotmail may not receive the confirmation email due to strict spam filters. Registration link will also be sent via the NPSG email newsletter – sign up here. Please send us an email at nativeplantstudygroup@gmail.com if you have problems or questions.
TOPIC: Growing Native Ferns from spores to garden-ready plants
Subject of talk: Raising ferns is a niche specialty that requires patience, an understanding of the fern life cycle and its oddities, and some grounding in soil science. Starting materials are very cheap and readily available. For both beginner and established fern growers there is a well-established international network of like-minded and helpful amateurs. Growing baby ferns from spores is engaging and rewarding. I will show you how to do this in a step-by-step method. Because of recent improvements in the quality of mobile phone cameras the process has become much easier, as there is no longer a need for microscopes to monitor growth of young plants.
About Speaker
Patrick von Aderkas is a professor in the Centre for Forest Biology in UVic’s Biology Department. His expertise lies in plant reproduction and embryology. Patrick teaches students introductory botany, tree biology and plant molecular biology. He has a PhD from the University of Manchester and many years’ experience experimenting with ferns, gymnosperms and flowering plants.
Visit https://tiffanyrevitalist.wordpress.com/ to learn more.
Meeting Program
- 6:40-6:50 Optional Social Catch Up
- 6:50-7:00 Welcome & introductions
- 7:00-7:45 Presentation by Patrick von Aderkas (including questions)
- 7:50-8:00 Extended question period + at-home tea & cookies break
- 8:00-8:15 NPSG Announcements, Upcoming Events, Question Jar
- 8:20-8:45 Plant Raffle/Swap Social
Territorial Acknowledgement:
The Native Plant Study Group respectfully acknowledges that we meet on the unceded territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Lekwungen Peoples. We are a garden group with a strong interest in gardening with native plants for their aesthetic, intrinsic, and conservation values. We gratefully recognize the longstanding stewards of these plants and ecosystems, as well as their cultural significance.
We encourage a safe and respectful space for everyone to learn along with us in the process of decolonization.
Native Plant Study Group is on Zoom!
NPSG is still using Zoom to host our monthly talks, and occasionally we will host in-person events as well. Meeting details will be sent out via the NPSG email newsletter. Members are guaranteed a spot and the remaining spots are free and open to non-members. If you would like to become a member, please see our Membership Info.
Who We Are
The Native Plant Study Group is dedicated to learning about the native plants of British Columbia as wild populations and in garden settings, while promoting their use and conservation. Our diverse membership ranges from biologists to hobby gardeners, from horticulturists to plant enthusiasts.
General meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month from September to May (except December) and feature a speaker, draw for native plants, and discussion.
Many thanks to our Sustaining Supporters!
These businesses provide discounts to our active members:
- Borden Mercantile
- Buckerfields
- Danica Nurseries
- Dig This
- Garden Works
- Satinflower Nurseries (formerly Saanich Native Plants Nursery)
Territorial Acknowledgement:
The Native Plant Study Group respectfully acknowledges that we meet on the unceded territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Lekwungen Peoples. We are a garden group with a strong interest in gardening with native plants for their aesthetic, intrinsic, and conservation values. We gratefully recognize the longstanding stewards of these plants and ecosystems, as well as their cultural significance.
We encourage a safe and respectful space for everyone to learn along with us in the process of decolonization.
PAST EVENTS
October Native Plant Study Group is also IN PERSON
Oct 20th Native Plant Study Group hosts: Members & Friends Fall Native Plant & Seed swap + sale + speaker + social
This is the first time we are hosting a fall plant and seed event in PERSON at Swan Lake Nature House
IN-PERSON RSVP
The Native Plant Study Group gathers IN PERSON for our October meeting & fall Native Plant and Seed Swap featuring Guest Speaker Paul Spriggs on “Island Alpine: the mountain flora in our own backyard”
In-Person Event Program:
- 5:00-6:00 Volunteers & Members Set up event, arrive with plants/seeds if you have some to bring and share
- 6:00-6:50 Native Plant & Seed Swap & Share
- 6:50-7:00 Welcome & introductions
- 7:00-7:45 Presentation by Paul Spriggs (including questions)
- 7:50-8:00 Tea & cookies break
- 8:00-8:15 Announcements, Upcoming Events, Question Jar
- 8:15-9:00 Plant Raffle/Swap Social (In-person only)
About Plant Swap/Share
Feel welcome to bring NATIVE plants and seeds to share/swap with fellow members and friends. We encourage folks to ensure plants are native to the local area, meaning they are found in this local region (south island and Salish Sea) before colonization.
You are welcome to bring salvaged plants/seeds to the swap, but plants/books/gifts for the raffle must not be salvaged.
About Speaker
Paul Spriggs has been rock gardening for roughly 23 years and building crevice gardens for about 16 years. He is an avid plant explorer, photographer, mountaineer, owner of Spriggs Gardens Landscaping company, and past President of the Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society. He has a passion for all wild plants, especially those of dwarf stature and collects and cultivates them at various gardens in his hometown of Victoria, BC, Canada. Paul has learned the craft of crevice garden building directly from one of its innovators, Zdenek Zvolanek, of the Czech Republic, and in the past decade and a half, has built many gardens in public parks and private homes that range in size from small feature troughs to large installations involving many tonnes of stone. Paul is passionate about spreading the word of this style, through speaking to garden clubs all over the west, and by giving workshops for those keen on learning the finer points of this developing art form. He has just finished his work on the first North American book on Crevice gardening with co-author Kenton Seth of Colorado, released in Summer of 2022.
Native Plant Study Group is on Zoom!
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NPSG is still using Zoom to host our monthly talks. Meeting details will be sent out via the NPSG email newsletter. Members are guaranteed a spot and the remaining spots are free and open to non-members. If you would like to become a member, please see our Membership Info.
Who We Are
The Native Plant Study Group is dedicated to learning about the native plants of British Columbia as wild populations and in garden settings, while promoting their use and conservation. Our diverse membership ranges from biologists to hobby gardeners, from horticulturists to plant enthusiasts.
General meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month from September to May (except December) and feature a speaker, draw for native plants, and discussion.
Many thanks to our Sustaining Supporters!
These businesses provide discounts to our active members:
- Borden Mercantile
- Buckerfields
- Danica Nurseries
- Dig This
- Garden Works
- Satinflower Nurseries (formerly Saanich Native Plants Nursery)
Territorial Acknowledgement:
The Native Plant Study Group respectfully acknowledges that we meet on the unceded territory of the WSANEC and Lekwungen Peoples. We are a garden group with a strong interest in gardening with native plants for their aesthetic, intrinsic, and conservation values. We gratefully recognize the longstanding stewards of these plants and ecosystems, as well as their cultural significance.
We encourage a safe and respectful space for everyone to learn along with us in the process of decolonization.