1)  Tours of Caron Gardens

We have enjoyed offering guided tours to each of the garden clubs on the Sunshine Coast as well as to the Pond Society of BC and to the Pender Harbour Women’s Connection.  Tour topics have included:

 

  • Selection and Care of Rhododendrons
  • Rate That Rhodo (how to identify superior plants)
  • Battles with the Beasts (pest control – the humorous side)
  • Pond Gardening
  • Designing the Shade Perennial Garden

 

Tours may be booked anytime between April and September.   Most of our 500 different rhododendrons are in bloom between mid-April and mid-June.  In summer, the perennial gardens are quite beautiful. We suggest that garden clubs book early so that we can reserve their preferred date before we advertise our workshop schedule. 

 

Some clubs ask members to bring lunches or desserts and we provide tea, or coffee and ice water.  Caron Gardens has indoor seating for 20 people and outdoor seating for over 40.  There is lots of parking on Beaumont Road and handicapped parking is located on our property.

 

During a 2 to 3 hour visit we usually divide the participants into 2 groups for the main tour which is led by Ron Knight.  While not on the guided tour, we offer the other half of the group the chance to play a scavenger hunt game in the garden or wander through one kilometer of paths at their leisure.  In addition, we offer everyone the opportunity to purchase rare and unusual rhododendrons from the best selection on the Sunshine Coast.

 

2)      Guest Speaker Engagements

Ron Knight has been a guest speaker at Sechelt Garden Fest, at each of the garden clubs on the Sunshine Coast, and at Rhododendron Clubs on Vancouver Island and in Greater Vancouver.  His topics include:

  • Make Your Rhododendrons Think They’re Growing in the Himalayas
    (Planting  and care)—slides and overhead projector drawings
  • Drip Irrigation Basics – slides and demonstration
  • Propagation by Cuttings  -- slides and demonstration
  • How to Make Hypertufa Planters – demonstration and samples
  • Dwarf Rhododendrons for Containers – samples and demonstration
  • Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs – slides and demonstrations
  • The Wild Rhododendrons of Mount Elphinstone -- Slides and discussion

 

Presentations usually range from 45 to 60 minutes and an honorarium of $150 is appreciated.  This amount is reduced to $80 if Ron is invited to sell rhododendrons at the meeting.