Short Bio: Marjorie Harris
Charlotte County garden clubs are thrilled to have Marjorie Harris join us again at the podium at Charlotte County Blooms 2012. She was so well received here in 2006 that we couldn’t resist asking her back. Marjorie is one of Canada’s leading garden writers. She has been the gardening columnist for Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail since 1990; makes speeches across the country; was the Editor-at-Large of Gardening Life magazine until it folded in November 2008. She has been an editor of Chatelaine and Maclean’s; written 15 gardening books, lives in Toronto and runs Marjorie Harris Gardens, a plant consulting business. Marjorie’s presentations are always very informative, her slides are to die for and her sense of humour combine to keep the newest green thumb to the experienced gardener on the edge of their seats. She thoroughly enjoys engaging her audience and answering even the most perplexing gardening questions. Her most recent book “How to Make a Garden: The 7 Essential Steps for the Canadian Gardener” is on sale at Charlotte County Blooms and will be autographed just for you!!! Her topic for the day of April 28th is “Let’s Stop Making Ugly Gardens”. For more information on Marjorie visit MarjorieHarris.com!
Short Bio: Dr. Charles Hope
Born and educated in Edinburgh,Scotland. My interest in growing succulents and cacti began when my grandmother gave me a number of cuttings and transplants from her collection of succulents. I was immediately attracted to those plants-they were different- they did not wither if they were not regularly watered- they flowered and they could be propagated in many different ways. I shared my interest with my neighbour and soon there were two of us seeking and collecting whatever and wherever possible. This led to us becoming members of the Edinburgh of the British Cactus and Succulent Society.
Following graduation in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh and entering Post-Graduate Training in Anaesthesia. I left Edinburgh to begin a Research Fellowship in London,England. As it was not possible to take the succulent collection with me it was distributed amongst friends who had an interest in these plants. Five years later I emigrated to Canada to take a position with the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. While in Saskatchewan I began to collect once more in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. While in Saskatchewan I became a member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA).
After four and a half years I moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to take a position at Dalhousie University. While in Nova Scotia I met several enthusiastic collectors of succulents and once again the collection grew. the plants acquired while in Saskatchewan came with me to Halifax.
in 1999 I retired to Wolfville in the Annapolis Valley, NS. The collection has grown, but my main interest at present is to explore the opportunity of growing cacti and succulents which are capable of surviving in a rock garden environment year round. others in my collection are grown, as potted specimens, outdoors but only during the frost free months.
Since settling in Nova Scotia, I have had the opportunity of meeting and visiting other collectors with similar interests. I have been a member of Valley gardeners and served on the Executive Committee of Valley Gardeners from 2001- 2009 and as President from 2005- 2006. I was a member of the Nova Scotia Rock garden Club for a number of years but other pressure of other activities has prevented me from maintaining membership.
I have presented talks on succulents and cacti on two occasions and on " Growing the Perfect Pot Plant" on one occasion to Valley Gardeners.
I have presented talks to the Nova Scotia Rock garden Club on Winter Hardy and Native Cacti in Canada and following a field trip, on the wild and Alpine Flora of Alaska.
I was a contributing author, to" A 2002 Review of the Distribution of the Native Cacti of Canada", ed Ken Hancock, Sotaire Limited, 280 Albert Street,Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G8.
I have had an article published, entitled Growing Cacti Outdoors in Canada, Nova Scotia Rock garden Newsletter, (2006) Vol 2: Number 1, 1-4
I am a member of the BCSS discussion group on winter-hardy cacti.
