Local Gardening Events in September 2025
Your free monthly roundup of gardening events, plant sales and green community projects, happening in Prince Edward County and the surrounding areas.
September is fall Fair season - will you be entering?
The cooler weather and bouts of rain are finally here, and our gardens are beginning to look green again - hooray! It may be too late to save some plants, but hopefully you have something that survived this summer’s drought.
This September, consider taking part in the floral contests at your local Fair. Whether you’re a veg grower, a flower lover, or a bit of both, it’s well worth checking out the competitions at your local Fair.
For those in PEC, September is County Fair Season: we have Picton Fair on the first weekend (5-7th), Milford Fair on the second weekend (13th) and Ameliasburgh Fair on the third weekend (20th). From dahlias to pumpkins, marigolds to marvellous designs, there are plenty of opportunities for you and your plants to be part of the local Fair tradition.
🕰️ Now’s The Time
…to plan your fall planting!
Not long now until the bulb catalogues start landing on our doormats, so it’s a great time to take note of any newly-empty spaces in your garden. Some of those lost to the summer’s drought may come back next year, but for those that definitely won’t (e.g. the annuals) this is an opportunity to get low-maintenance plants into that spot.
Wondering how to stop the local wildlife from stealing your bulbs? Mix alliums and daffodils (distasteful to squirrels and chipmunks) in with your tulips and crocuses to create a beautiful display that’ll actually get to bloom.
Don’t feel like digging a bunch of holes? Try throwing native wildflower seeds onto your bare soil spots instead. Many of them need a winter freeze before they can germinate, so you can scatter them this fall and let nature do the rest.
📅 What's Happening This Month
Garden clubs are back from their summer break, adding even more great events to an exciting lineup of informative presentations, interactive workshops - and even a symposium!
September 2 - Caring for Fruit Trees with Colin Campbell - 7pm
Speaker: Colin, owner and chief arborist at Campbell’s Orchard in the County:
pruning fruit trees
monitoring for disease and pests
how to nurture fruit trees throughout the year to maintain a successful orchard
Organised by Tweed Horticultural Society
September 3 - Bloom & Learn Gardening Series- Rain Gardens - 6.15-7.30pm [online]
Final event in the Bloom & Learn Gardening Series
how rain gardens can help manage water runoff and support local ecosystems
why runoff is an environmental issue and how you can make a difference right on your property
learn the basics of rain garden design, how they work, and which plants to select for success.
Organised by Sustainable Ajax
September 4, 11, 18, 25 - Ask A Master Gardener - 1pm [online]
Zoom presentation followed by a Q&A. Regular themes include edible gardening, garden fundamentals, and bird friendly gardening. A different topic covered every Thursday.
Sign up to the free newsletter to get the topic and Zoom link.
Organised by: 1000 Islands Master Gardeners
September 6 - Four-Season Beauty & Biodiversity - 10am [online]
$5 donation for this webinar
Learn how to extend the color and textural interest in your landscape through fall and winter with beautiful foliage, striking structure, and colorful branches, berries, seed pods that support the wildlife around you while you enjoy the show.
Organised by Blooming Boulevards
September 10 - Seed Saving 101 workshop - 6:30-8:30pm
Free hand-on workshop to learn about seed collecting and saving, led by plant and garden experts:
Seed collecting 101
How to effectively and efficiently save seeds
Ways to store and plant seeds
Tour the pollinator meadow
Organised by Quinte Conservation
September 13 - Plant Sale - 8.30-11am
Organised by Brighton Garden Club
September 13 - It's Easy! Seed Saving 101 - 10am [online]
$5 donation for this webinar:
how to collect and save seeds from native wildflowers as well as your garden favorites
how to determine when various types of seeds are ripe
how to clean different kinds of seed and test for quality
Information will be given on proper seed storage so that it remains in optimum condition. Q & A session and handouts will be provided.
Organised by Blooming Boulevards
September 15 - A presentation of the Chelsea Show - 7pm
A presentation of the Chelsea Show; a behind-the-scenes look at the final days of a big show garden build in 2024, along with highlights of the show itself.
Organised by Stirling & District Horticultural Society
September 16 - Water Soldier Information Night - 5-8pm
Learn more about Water Soldier, a highly invasive aquatic plant:
how to identify the species
how to help manage the plant
how Quinte Conservation monitors Water Soldier and the methods used to manage and remove the species from the Bay of Quinte
how the herbicide treatment works
Quinte Conservation's Aquatic Science staff, OFAH's Invasive Species summer team, and the MECP will all be available for questions and to explain the up-coming treatment scheduled for the fall.
Organised by Quinte Conservation
September 17 - How Did your Garden Grow? - 6.30pm
Roundtable discussion.
Organised by Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society
September 18 - Pickling Seminar - 7pm
Learn the easy art of pickling and preserving your harvest in easy steps. Guests $10
Organised by Trenton Garden Club
September 19 - Community Tree Planting - 10am-4:30pm
at Cascade Park, 33 Tracey Park Drive, Belleville
Volunteers are needed to help plant trees at Cascade Park.
Organised by Quinte Conservation, the Quinte Field Naturalists, the City of Belleville, the LCBO, and Tree Canada
September 20 - Growing Native Plants From Seed - 10am [online]
$5 donation for this webinar:
how to grow your own native plants from A to Z
how to prepare seeds for sowing
advantages and disadvantages of different seed-starting mixes
how to make your own potting mix
setting up indoor grow lights and outdoor propagation beds
detailed information on overwintering and spring germination and care will be given. Handouts available for download.
Organised by Blooming Boulevards
September 21-28 - Great Canadian Bioblitz [online]
The CWF Great Canadian Bioblitz returns to provide nature enthusiasts with a fun and easy way to connect with nature and take inventory of Canada’s wildlife species.
Goal: record as many different species as possible of flora, funga and fauna you can find over the course of a weeklong open invitation event:
Wherever you are in Canada, snap photos or capture sound recordings of everything you find — from iconic wildlife to tiny insects, from birds, bugs and bees to wild plants and trees.
Upload every observation using the free iNaturalist app or online at iNaturalist.ca. You will also be contributing to an active database scientists use to track and conserve biodiversity across Canada and around the world.
You’ll be eligible to win prizes by participating!
Organised by Canadian Wildlife Federation
September 23 - Houseplants (Paul Battilana and Debbie Parry) - 7pm
September 23 - Native Trees and Shrubs - 7pm
at Eastside Community Baptist Church, 68 Rollins Drive, Belleville
Lindsay Nash of Quinte Conservation and Greg Parsons of Quinte Field Naturalists, will be speaking to us about the native trees and shrubs that are keystones in our local ecosystem, touching on supporting biodiversity and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Organised by Belleville Garden Club
September 24 - Fungi of the County - 7pm
at Rotary Hall, Picton Fairgrounds
Learn about the fascinating fungi found in and around Prince Edward County. Presented by Jean Mac from County Fungi and Dragonfly Ecological Gardens
Free to attend, no guest fee. A recording of this presentation can be pre-ordered for $5 (free for members) for download later (follow Facebook page for updates).
Organised by County Garden Club
September 27 - WLCA Environmental Symposium - 9am
Featuring presentations and displays. $25 to register, includes refreshments and lunch
Organised by West Lake Community Association
September 29 - Plant Auction - 7pm
Donate a plant or several!
Organised by Ameliasburgh Garden Club
Guest fees may apply and events sometimes change or get cancelled, so do check the details prior to making plans.
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