We Love Gardening 2026!
Gardening Symposia
Aida Mustapic, Organic Master Gardener
Aida is a certified Organic Master Gardener and passionate urban gardener with nearly two decades of experience growing her own organic backyard vegetable garden.
With a strong understanding of soil chemistry and the microbial interactions that influence plant health, she integrates regenerative agriculture practices and eco-friendly pest management strategies to maximize productivity in urban spaces.
Aida is dedicated to chemical-free, sustainable gardening practices that restore soil health, support pollinators, and produce nutrient-dense food. She believes gardening is a timeless activity that strengthens community, enhances physical and mental well-being, benefits the environment, and provides meaningful opportunities to develop new skills in sustainable urban agriculture.
She is passionate about empowering others to discover that anyone, regardless of the size of their space, can grow a thriving garden.
From Balcony to Backyard: Big Harvests from Small Spaces
You don’t need a large yard, or a large budget, to grow abundant, organic, high-quality organic vegetables.
This practical, empowering session shows how anyone can turn balconies, patios, and small yards into productive food-growing spaces using simple, cost-effective methods.
You’ll learn how to:
Select the right containers and make the most of your available space
Match plants to sunlight and root depth for better results
Build fertile, living soil using organic layering techniques
Use companion planting to naturally reduce pests and improve plant health
Apply square-foot gardening principles to grow more in less space and enable unexpectedly large harvests in small spaces!
Focused on real-world success, this session highlights smart planning and accessible organic practices that help you grow nutritious food without breaking the bank.
You’ll leave with clear, actionable strategies to turn your ideas into a workable garden plan. Participants will also receive a complete handout package to support confident implementation at home.
Martin Osis
Martin Osis is passionate about wild mushrooms.
For over 30 years, he has educated and entertained audiences through talks, forays, workshops, and identification courses — always eager to share his love of fungi.
An amateur mycologist widely regarded as one of Alberta’s leading experts in mushroom field identification, Martin stays current with emerging research while exploring Alberta’s diverse habitats.
A founding member of the Alberta Mycological Society, he has helped shape key initiatives, including the popular annual Great Alberta Mushroom Foray, and played a leading role in establishing the Medicinal Mushroom Committee at NAMA.
Mushrooms & Ecological Health: What Fungi Mean for Your Garden
Discover how fungi shape the health of our local ecosystems. This talk explores the ecological role of mushrooms and their influence on soil, plants, and overall environmental balance. Learn practical steps you can take to support beneficial fungi and improve the health and resilience of your yard or garden.
Growing the Right Mushrooms in Your Garden
Learn how to introduce beneficial mushrooms into your garden to support soil health and plant vitality. This practical workshop will guide you in selecting the right species and simple methods to successfully integrate fungi into your yard for a healthier, more resilient garden ecosystem.
Melissa Penney
After spending years walking, hiking, and driving to photograph birds, Melissa tried something new in 2019. She decided to make the birds come to her! In the last five years she has had 108 species of birds visit her urban Edmonton backyard, with 84 species visiting in 2024 alone! Melissa’s interests have expanded to gardening, native plants, and insects and how they work together to create a diverse wildlife habitat. In May of 2025 she published a book to teach people how to create their own backyard habitats. A Playground for Birds: How to turn your yard into an avian oasis, has become a local bestseller. In addition to her yard being certified by the Canadian Wildlife Federation as a wildlife friendly habitat, she loves having a space for her amazing family to play, relax, and visit with friends. When she isn’t working on her own habitat, Melissa is a freelance photographer, a mom to three amazing and busy kids, and wife to a fantastic guy who understands her need to live outside more than inside.
Top 10 Easy Native Plants for Your Garden
Are you interested in adding native plants to your garden, but don’t know which plants to start with? Join Melissa to learn about her top ten native plant choices, where to plant them and how to care for them so they thrive in your garden. From classic prairie flowers to pollinator magnets, Melissa’s selections are perfect for gardeners of all skill levels. She’ll talk about starting from seed versus buying established plants, where to get them and how early in the season you can get started.
Clint Porritt
Clint is an Organic Master Gardener who enjoys "making soil" as part of his work with Star Cooperative Garden: a unique growing community centred around the ecologically sustainable practices of organic, deep-mulch, no-till gardening at The Star of the North Retreat Centre in St. Albert, AB. He loves to talk about urban hens, microbes, mulch, soil development, and vermicomposting. Beyond Star Garden, Clint has served in consulting and development roles with both the Carmel Community Garden and the Sinkunia Community Garden in northeast Edmonton. Clint holds a Master of Theological Studies and is passionate about the connections between ecology and spirituality.
From Dead Dirt to Living Soil: Simple Steps Toward Healthy Soil Development
How well do you know the ground beneath your feet? How does it feel in your hand? Is it crumbly or sticky? How well does it hold water? What’s living in there? Can your soil withstand a drought? Is your soil nutrient rich?
Most people live unaware of the differences between dirt and soil, yet the only way to get a healthy plant is to make sure you’ve got healthy soil. Come learn some simple ways to test and amend your soil for a successful growing season.
Nothing is Wasted: Five Permaculture Principles To Live By
Permaculture is about regeneration. It’s about designing a self-sustaining culture, one that gives more than it takes. It’s also about cooperation; about listening to and learning from the natural world around us--working with nature and not against nature.
Permaculture ethics and principles can be applied to our garden spaces with surprising results. Come learn more about catching and storing energy, composting and reusing “waste” materials, leaving the edges wild, and adding diversity to your yard and garden.
Mark Stump-Allen
Mark is an Environmental Education and former “Compost Doctor” with City of Edmonton. Mark has gardened in this region for five decades and hope to build soil that will grow tasty, nutrient-dense food like he enjoyed growing up. Since retiring as the City of Edmonton’s Compost Doctor (2008-2020) he’s been heading up the Master Gardener Program in Stony Plain.
No-till Gardening: the Benefits of Tilling, and Why We Shouldn’t
Early humans had no concept of Soil Succession and mistakenly assumed that soil disruption (and slash and burn) were necessary for agriculture. Recent discoveries show us why the benefits of tilling come at a cost. Understanding what tilling does and how to fix the damage will help you choose the right path for your garden goals.
Alex McCormick
Alex is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and owns and operates TreeLink Arboriculture. He specializes in fruit tree pruning, young tree training and tree education. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and a Master of Science in Agroforestry. With close to 20 years of industry experience including work in operations and management of tree nurseries, large arborist companies and his own company, he brings a depth of technical and applied knowledge to this presentation. Alex is passionate about tree education and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge and answering your tree pruning and tree card questions.
Structural Pruning - Fruit Tree Pruning and Young Tree Training
This presentation will provide an introduction to the theory, concepts and techniques of structural pruning as applied to fruit tree pruning and young tree training. A discussion of tree biology, growth mechanisms and response to pruning and injury will be provided. This foundation will be used to inform and deepen the teaching of structural pruning techniques during the rest of the presentation. An introduction to specific pruning tools, cuts and techniques will also be provided. The session will conclude with a question and answer period to address attendee questions and provide further content tailored to the questions and interests of participants.
Spring Symposium - regular
$25.00
Spring Symposium - senior/student
$20.00
Summer Symposium - regular
$25.00
Summer Symposium - senior/student
$20.00
Max Capacity
60 people
