The Garden Tour

Sunday July 30, 2023
10AM – 4PM

The Garden Tour is an annual tradition in Thunder Bay, and a great way to spend the day with your friends and family! This year you will venture from one side of our city to another exploring gardens located in various neighbourhoods.

This year we are excited to feature Willow Springs Creative Centre as our public garden on the tour.

This local non-profit provides therapeutic gardening programs for community organizations and offers art programming for all ages and abilities throughout the year.  Enjoy some reasonably priced refreshments including beverages and sweets before exploring this relaxing and engaging space – you won’t want to leave this garden for last!

Learn More About Willow Springs

Presented by

Official Garden Centre of the tour

Proudly supported by:

Thunder Bay and District

Thunder Bay & District Master Gardeners are experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture extensively, continue upgrading skills through technical training, and volunteer to provide expert advice. For years, the Master Gardeners have volunteered their time and shared their knowledge to make the Thunder Bay Art Gallery Garden Tours a success. A Master Gardener is present in each garden to discuss the unique details and showcase their selected feature. We hope these Master Gardener’s Picks inspire!

Lynda Lahteenmaa – MG member of the TBAG garden tour committee. A Master Gardener for over 25 years and a certified Horticultural Therapist, Lynda firmly believes that ‘gardening goes beyond cultivation of the soil’. It is a pursuit that promotes wellness, creativity, and joy. Through her many presentations and Horticultural Therapy activities in the community, Lynda shares these enduring values. Working with management and staff at Hogarth Riverview Manor (HRM), Lynda established a Horticultural Therapy Program for residents living with dementia. Her gentle leadership has also guided the creation of a significant outdoor garden that brings sensory joys into the lives of residents and their families. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has long collaborated with the Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners on the Annual Art Gallery Garden Tour. As a Master Gardener, Lynda has been an integral part of that collaboration. For 20 years she has volunteered her time and has encouraged dozens of gardeners in our community to find joy in opening their gardens to the public. Perhaps Lynda’s contribution lies in her approach to volunteerism. She is always learning, growing personally, and offering advice with humility.

Hedy Koski has over 50 years of gardening experience and her extensive knowledge includes seeding, vegetables, perennials, insect identification and control, composting and soil improvement — just to name a few! She grew up digging in the dirt at her mother’s garden center and flower shop near Red Rock. Her Mother, who was also a Master Gardener, passed on gardening advice to the community. Hedy has worked at a local nursery for over 30 years and enjoys public speaking and doing presentations as well as demonstrations. For the past year, she has been sharing gardening advice with her column, “Let’s Get Growing with Hedy” in the Walleye Magazine. Hedy joined the Master Gardeners group in March 2023.

Andrea Steinhaeusser fell in love with gardening as a young child, helping her grandparents in their garden. Throughout her life she has grown annuals, perennials, vegetables, as well as houseplants. To grow her knowledge, she has taken a landscape design course at Confederation College as well as many other gardening courses over the years. Upon retirement she was excited to become a Master Gardener. She chose Dalhousie University in 2019 for her course studies and recently also completed their Prairie Landscaping course. She is currently the Coordinator for the Thunder Bay & District Master Gardeners. Andrea’s favorite plants are cactus and succulents and, during the winter, she has expanded to desert gardening in Arizona for something completely different. From Zone 3 to Zone 9.

Gordon Ward is a long-time member of the Thunder Bay & District Master Gardeners. He received his 25-year pin in 2021. He loves to share his knowledge of growing and harvesting hardy kiwi as well as grapes. He also enjoys growing fruit trees and sharing their bountiful crops. He is also well versed in pruning.

Carole McCollum has been a Master Gardener for 31 years. She loves to help people with their gardening issues and provide assistance in the identification and maintenance of plants.  She is a volunteer at the hospital in the summers, and in winters at the Boyce Arboretum and Desert Botanical Gardens in Arizona.  She is a former director of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and a supporter of this major fundraiser for them. The days of a large vegetable garden are now gone, and her current garden interests are decorative borders and ponds. She enjoys vegetables provided by her local farmers.

Jack Van Gemeren is a Regional Planner with the MNRF. His areas of special interest include trees, shrubs and non-woody perennials. He has an Honors Degree in Environmental Geography and has completed his Master Gardener studies from the University of Guelph. He has valuable volunteer experience and, as he continues to take various courses, remains passionate about learning. Jack joined the Master Gardeners group in March 2023.

Theresa Love has been an avid gardener her whole life. If she’s not gardening, you’ll find her quilting, walking, or cross country skiing. She lives 3 hours from Thunder Bay but comes to the city often to visit her two sons and her 6-year-old granddaughter. Theresa completed her Master Gardener’s certification in 2014 and, after retiring, joined the Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners in 2021. She now serves as the secretary. Theresa is currently enrolled in the RBG Horticultural Judging School and will complete the last session this fall.

Rosemary McNabb achieved her master gardener status in 2021. She has a special interest in native plants as well as establishing and preserving natural ecosystems and the organisms they support. She is currently the Education Coordinator for the Master Gardeners group. She arranges guest speakers as well as researches and presents topics ranging from “Jumping Worms” to “How do Trees Survive the Winter”.

Lynda Bobinski – While growing up Lynda could be found in a garden for as long as she can remember. In her family, gardening was a given, with both her grandparents and parents growing food in large vegetable gardens in their backyards. There were also beautiful flower gardens to admire. Her mother, a Field Naturalist, encouraged respect for the environment and its flora and fauna.

Recognizing that volunteering offers opportunity for connection with others, growth in a new area of interest along with the fulfillment accomplished by helping others, she was easily convinced by her friends to join them and become a Master Gardener. Their enthusiasm and commitment validated her decision and continues to do so to this day. After joining Thunder Bay & District Master Gardeners in 2012 and completing her horticultural courses at Dalhousie University, Lynda has been an active member who happily shares her gardening knowledge. She is always eager to volunteer as well as hear your gardening experiences. She looks forward to participating as a Master Gardener in the annual Thunder Bay Art Gallery Garden Tour.  On two occasions her garden was featured on the tour.

Sylvia Goodheart has been enthusiastic Master Gardener for 22 years. Her love of gardening started at an early age as her father was a farmer. She and her husband Chris have also farmed all their lives. They enjoy country living in Kaministiqua and own over 140 acres. She has a large greenhouse where she can get a jumpstart growing flowers and vegetables. For 18 years she has volunteered at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery Garden Tour as she enjoys meeting new and old friends and discovering unique plants