June 24, 2026 @ 7pm, Lions Centre  “Ask Me Anything” –  Panel of Experts

Join us in welcoming our Panel of Experts to our stage on June 24th. The panel of experts will be speaking to us about Perennials, Pest and Pollinators.

This month’s meeting invites full participation from our members. We have brought together a panel of local experts – Tim Hobbs of True North Gardens, Laura Gardner – Peterborough Master Gardener and Liz Straszynski who will  answer your gardening questions. Each panel expert will take turns speaking on their topic, then we will open the floor to your questions. Get your questions ready!!!

Tim Hobbs will be speaking on Perennials – Tim has been a gardener for more than 35 years. TrueNorth is located on several acres south of Warkworth. Tim is a specialist in daylilies and has spoken to the Ptbo Horticultural Society about his experience hybridizing daylilies. Tim, along with his partner Donna Pass, manage about 50,000 daylilies, along with other tough and drought tolerant perennials such as hosta, echinacea, hibiscus, baptisia, amsonia and many others. Garlic is another specialty at TrueNorth. Tim is interested in plants that look after themselves while attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Tonight, Tim will step beyond daylilies and speak about some other perennials that are popular at TrueNorth and then he will answer your questions.

Laura Gardener will be speaking on Pests – Laura will concentrate on ecological and sustainable gardening practices, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), identification and myths arounds pests.

Since 2020, Laura Gardner has been a volunteer with the Peterborough and Area Master Gardeners, is a certified Pollinator Steward with Pollinator Partnership Canada and holds a certificate in Horticulture from the University of Guelph. She currently volunteers as a moderator and gives gardening advice on the Master Gardeners of Ontario and Over the Fence with the Peterborough Master Gardeners Facebook pages.

In addition to her own urban garden, Laura cares for the pollinator garden at the Peterborough Public Library. Her passion is growing plants from seed, especially native plants. In 2026, her project focus is continuing with the work to transform her front yard from grass to perennial pollinator gardens. Outside of her volunteering activities, she works as the Collections Acquisition Librarian with the Peterborough Public Library.

Liz Straszynski will be speaking on Pollinators – Liz will give a brief presentation on pollinators, their importance and what gardeners can do to keep them around.

Liz has taught Biology and general Science as a classroom teacher for the past 25 years. In the 2019-2020 school year, she leveraged the pandemic by creating a Clean 20 award-winning pollinator garden-in-a-bag project called “Bee the Change”. She is also Canada’s ‘winning-est’ Envirothon coach and provides support to students doing the AP Environmental Science course (not typically taught in schools). Originally from Manitoba, she’s been gardening (and generally enthused about plants) since having ‘tummy time’ in her grandpa’s carrot patch.