GOWGHS
Speaker List for 2010
January 20, 2010 -
Dinner & Member Pond Proflies
This was the successful launch of what appears to be on track to
become an annual fixture, a social dinner, entailing the second year
of another annual fixture, presentations on three member ponds.
Thirty-three members dined at the Pho Kam Long (3635 Rivergate Way),
a Vietnamese restaurant with an indoor koi pond, followed by visual
presentations on the Fournier (evolution), Bruinsma (genesis) and
Lafrance (perfection in replicating nature) water gardens.
February 16, 2010: Pond Renovations
Renovating existing water gardens, whether structural (expanding or
reducing size, adding waterfalls or streams), adding other types of
features (fish caves, islands, dry streams, bogs, etc.), adding a
deck at pond's edge, etc.
Speaker: Kent Peddie, President, Precision Landscape Group
http://www.precisiongroup.ca/about-us.html
March 17, 2010: Chinese Scholars' Gardens:
The harmony of water, rocks, plants and architecture
Water is one of the four key elements of these renown ancient
gardens. The private residential gardens, referred to as classical
or scholars' gardens, belonged to high-ranking government officials,
wealthy merchants and retired scholars. They served as their private
residences and combined living quarters, reception halls and studies
with a fascinating array of pavilions, corridors, hills, rockeries,
vegetation and ponds. The garden designers started by analysing the
natural features of the site and built from there piling up rocks to
simulate hills and diverting water to create ponds and lakes. In and
around the rocks and water they integrated their living quarters and
pavilions for their various activities. The harmony of a Chinese
garden is derived from the combination of the four main elements:
rocks, water, plants and architecture.
Speaker: Ann Chudleigh first visited China in 1982 as part of a
delegation from the then Department of External Affairs negotiating
the first cultural exchange agreement between China and Canada. The
delegation visited several gardens in Suzhou and Shanghai and Ann
was hooked, vowing to return to visit in a leisurely fashion.
Subsequently she visited China three more times to study and
photograph 20 scholars' gardens in Suzhou and other Jiangsu province
cities.
April 21, 2010: Spring start-up, water quality
As the time is approaching to
rebalance our pond ecosystems after the winter, Richard Inchley
of Richard Inchley Ponds and Aquaria will provide a
primer/refresher (depending on your level of experience) on spring
start-up. As well, in response to member interest in a talk on water
quality in general, he will go beyond the spring start-up aspects of
water quality.
Speaker: Richard Inchley, Richard Inchley Ponds & Aquaria
May 19, 2010: Aquatic plants
Learn about planting a water garden (ecosystem needs, lay-out design
and planting techniques); dealing with common aquatic plant pests
and diseases; and aquatic plants you wish you had and hadn't
planted.
Speaker: Horticulture Technician Jessica Majore of the Pond Clinic
Water Garden Centre (http://pondclinic.com/retailStore.htm) graduated
from Algonquin College with honours in 2007, and has been working
with aquatic plants since 2008.
June, 16 2010: Photographing water gardens
Water gardens are a rich photo subject, but can also be
challenging. This presentation will help with camera choice,
technical issues, photo composition, and both macro photography &
close-ups. After which you'll have no excuse for not submitting
photos for the
GOWGHS Photo Competition, the gallery page of this website, or
for the 2010 GOWGHS holiday card photo!
Speaker: Ron Hay
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjhayphotography/
September 15, 2010: Energy-efficient water gardening
We may think of water gardening as being one with nature, but as was
once said about Gandhi, it took a lot of money to keep him living in
poverty. Although aspects of water gardens make a positive
contribution to the environment, what about all the
electricity consumed by pumps, underwater and outdoor lighting,
aerators, de-icers, etc., plus the draw on municipal water to fill
and top up ponds? How can we be more energy efficient and
environmentally responsible water gardeners?
Speaker:
Larry Widdifield, Certified Energy Advisor, Ottawa Valley Energy
Consultants (OVEC). OVEC is licensed by Natural Resources Canada to
perform ecoEnergy assessments.
October 20, 2010: Ponds, the ultimate bird bath
Water gardens increase the ground level presence of birds,
piquing our interest in what is going on in that parallel universe.
Which birds are and aren't attracted by water features, what types
of access points do they prefer (beach, water-level rock, waterfall,
...), how do they interact with each other (pecking orders, etc.),
better understanding problematic birds (heron, crows, grackles,
etc.), the role of birds in your micro-ecosystem (insect control,
etc.), what makes birds feel safe in your landscape, etc.
Speaker: Eve Ticknor, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
http://www.ofnc.ca/birding.php
