In person or via online media like Zoom or GoogleMeet, Helen Battersby has been a speaker at garden clubs and plant societies around the GTA and across Canada. Since 2013, she has volunteered as a presenter on the Master Gardeners of Ontario stages at Canada Blooms. Choose from popular presentation topics below, or ask us about something new. We’re open to ideas.

“Thank you again for your great presentation. Great pictures, useful information, all really well organized and presented in an informative yet entertaining manner!! I’m going to try to learn from your presenting style.”

New for 2021: Irish Gardens – Prehistoric, Historic, and Modern

Inspiring armchair garden travel to the glorious Emerald Isle

From a Neolithic farm site on the scenic west coast to Victorian garden estates and the contemporary creations of siblings Jimi and June Blake, enjoy an eyeful of ideas with a side order of history in this brand new presentation.

“Thanks again for your talk. I was blown away by your photos and the places you had visited!”

“Now that sounds like an interesting topic. I’ll add you to our 2021 list.”

The Garden of Regrets

Meet the plants you’ll wish you’d never planted

Learn how to avoid them (before you do), to live with them (if, sadly, you have them), or how to love them (if you must). A highly visual presentation that is one of our most-requested talks.

“Thank you so much for a great talk! I loved all the detailed information on so many familiar plants. You are a very engaging speaker and gave us lots to think about.”

Designing with See-Through Plants 

Discover what the heck they are and how the heck to use them!

Meet some new plants, and others that will invite you to look at old friends in a new way in this presentation filled with inspiring photographs. Whether your garden is large or small, you’re sure to come away with design ideas to apply.

“Your presentation was just lovely…lots of beautiful plants (with names on screen, a definite bonus!)”

Garden Walk Buffalo

See what you’ll miss if you don’t catch North America’s biggest, free garden tour. 

“Thank you for braving the Snow Storm of the Century and giving such a fine talk. It was really all I had hoped for. Fun and colourful and a real inspiration.”

“It was such an amazing presentation. I’m already starting to think about planning my long awaited return to Buffalo.”

Gardening in Shade

Are you a shady gardener? Plants and plans for the darker side of gardening.

To help you create a high-impact, low-maintenance shade garden, we begin by helping you cope with its particular problems and understand its opportunities. We’ll cover garden design principles for your shady garden (they work in sunny gardens, too!). Come away with ideas for both plants and design approaches that work well in shade. Inspiring images and info in a 45-minute talk.

“Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your presentation last night. It was wonderfully lively and informative and I learned a lot. You were so articulate and focused and amazingly, never stumped by the questions that came up. Your photos are sooo beautiful.”

Dry Shade Gardening

Solutions for one of the toughest garden challenges

Trying to grow things under Norway maples on land that was once the sandy, sandy shore of ancient Lake Iroquois, we have an intimate knowledge of what it means to fail and succeed in dry shade. Let us share our knowledge in this picture-filled, informative, 45-minute presentation.

“Thank you. I had many members approach me afterwards telling me how much they enjoyed your presentation. You were a pleasure to listen to.”