CELEBRATE ALL THINGS GARDENING AT HAMILTON'S 14TH ANNUAL SEEDY SATURDAY
It's back! Central Library is the place to be on Saturday, February 1st, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm for the return of Seedy Saturday. This FREE event brings together a wonderful community of garden-minded vendors, environmental groups, and local organizations. Donations to Green Venture are welcome!
The Fourth Floor will be buzzing with gardening experts, seed swaps, vendors, workshops, kids' activities and more. It's the ‘go-to’ place to be if you're interested in gardening, edible gardening, pollinator gardens, sustainability, heirloom and organic seed supplies, and more! You can enjoy a wide range of vendors and exhibitors.
By sponsoring Seedy Saturday, your company will have the opportunity to support impactful environmental action within the Hamilton Community. We aim to continue to make Seedy Saturday a barrier-free event, and your sponsorship will help us provide free native seeds, seedlings, pollinator and tree kits, food, and drink, along with educational workshops and sessions, and family-friendly activities.
Why Sponsor?
Sponsoring Seedy Saturday will not only enhance your company's sustainability initiatives but also provide public recognition. Your company's sponsorship will be recognized in press releases and media coverage, mentioned on our social media platforms, recognized during the event, and in post-event communications, and more!
Below is the event line-up to plan your day. We look forward to seeing you.
Ask the Experts Session - 11:00 am-2:00 pm Location: 4th Floor - Hamilton Public Library - Central Branch
Bring your questions and ideas about home energy efficiency and retrofits, how to include rain gardens, permeable paving and harvesting rainwater. Learn more about the Rain Ready Rebate.
Documentary Viewing - In My Backyard - 10:00 am-3:00 pm Location: 1st Floor - Hamilton Public Library - Central Branch
Watch as filmmaker Jamie Day Fleck converts her backyard into a vegetable garden and meets other Torontonians developing innovative solutions that utilize city spaces for hyper-local food production.
Seed Swap - 10:00 am-3:00 pm Location: 4th Floor - Hamilton Public Library - Central Branch
A free seed exchange where community members are encouraged to donate seeds and take seeds home to plant in their gardens.
Workshop Schedule: Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Green Venture X Past Rebate Participant Panel Presenting: A Rain Ready Garden Time: 10:30-11:30
Interested in installing a rain garden, permeable paving, or rainwater harvesting system in your yard? Thinking of applying in 2025 to the Rain Ready Rebate from Green Venture to receive funding for building these essential features to make your home stormwater ready and more climate resilient? Join us for a fun and casual discussion with prior rebate participants and Green Venture staff to hear more about what it's like participating in this program and installing these features.
The Gilded Grove Presenting: Demystifying Design for the Home Gardener Time: 11:30-12:30 Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Join us in designing a residential garden with a practical look at plant choices, aesthetics, form, function, and budget - preparing you to take on your own garden design and installation.
Conservation Halton Presenting: Habitat at Home - How to enhance biodiversity everywhere and in between your garden. Time: 12:30-1:00 Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
So you've created the ultimate garden with all of your favourite trees, shrubs and herbaceous species. Now what? Have you considered how outdoor lighting might affect nocturnal wildlife? What’s hiding in your yard waste, and where’s it headed? Is that some unconventional habitat hiding in plain sight? This workshop will show how you can complement your garden by increasing biodiversity while minimizing impacts around your home.
Branching Path Farms Presenting: Working With “Weeds” Time: 1:10-1:40 pm Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Ecological gardening, whether for personal or commercial purposes, involves working with nature in some capacity. When trying to grow food for human consumption, gardeners inevitably encounter invasive plants that we call “weeds.” Sometimes these so-called weeds are native species that fill important ecological roles. Many weeds are non-native species, but they, too serve useful functions for wildlife and humans as well. On our farm, many weeds help improve soil ecology, create biomass, feed and attract beneficial insects, and are edible and nutritious. All gardeners should be aware of some of these useful plants, and honour their roles in our landscapes.
Halton Master Gardeners Presenting: Native Plants in Gardens, Containers, & Bouquets Time: 1:50-2:50 pm Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Native plants are so important in supporting biodiversity and our environment, but their beauty is often overlooked. Our talk will expand the vision of what native plants are all about by discussing how they can be used in landscaping your garden, in containers, and inside your homes...all to beautiful effect.
Humble Bee is a Hamilton-based organization dedicated to promoting sustainable and organic beekeeping practices. They offer a range of products and services, including honey, beeswax candles, and educational workshops that connect the community with the importance of pollinators. Humble Bee’s mission is to foster environmental stewardship through hands-on learning, emphasizing eco-friendly practices that benefit both bees and the ecosystem. By encouraging community involvement and sustainable beekeeping, Humble Bee plays a vital role in supporting local biodiversity and raising awareness about the crucial role bees play in maintaining a healthy environment.
WaterFarmers specializes in functional landscaping and agricultural infrastructure. We work with homeowners, organizations, and farm operators to help people grow food, manage water, and enhance their surroundings. Common projects include rainwater harvesting, food gardens, pollinator gardens, green roof installations, greenhouse construction, and shipping container modifications. We build you space to grow.
Swallowtail Native Plants
Swallowtail Native Plants specializes in Ontario native plant seeds. We sell wildflower and grass seeds sustainably grown at our site in Uxbridge, Ontario. Our seeds are locally sourced and genetically diverse. As a result, they are ideal for creating habitat for wildlife and restoring biodiversity.
Worm Wrangler
Worm Wrangler is a small business focused on creating healthy soil through composting with help from earthworms (called vermicomposting). They offer worms to support folks' composting, vermicompost/worm castings as a soil amendment, and sustainable potting soil mixes, along with tangible support to help growers be a steward for their own soil!
Urban Nature Store
The Urban Nature Store, Your Local Birding & Nature Store, is a specialty shop located at 1100 Golf Links Rd in Ancaster. It offers a wide range of products for birding and nature enthusiasts, including high-quality bird feeders, binoculars, bird seed, and other nature-related supplies. The store caters to both novice and experienced birdwatchers, providing expert advice and resources to enhance your outdoor experience. Whether you're looking to attract more birds to your backyard or explore nature in a new way, the Urban Nature Store is the perfect destination for all your birding and wildlife needs.
Both Sides Studio
Both Sides Studio is an apothecary/gift shop/workshop space in East Hamilton, run by Katie Reed, a Community Herbalist.
We formulate plant remedies for all sides of your life, surround them in our shop with beautiful and functional local goods, and facilitate true community care via herbal workshops and events aimed at knowledge sharing, DIY, empowering seasonal living and gathering together.
Urban Harvest
At Urban Harvest, we are dedicated to providing our customers with certified organic seeds, seedlings and garden supplies that promote ecological diversity and preserve the health of our planet. Everything we sell is 100% certified organic.
Our organic and heirloom varieties are specially chosen for their unique qualities for both urban gardens and market gardeners. All of our seedlings are grown in or near the Greater Toronto Area to support the economies of Toronto, Ontario and Canada.
Hamilton Naturalists' Club/ The Butterflyway Project
The Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC) is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to the study, appreciation, and protection of our wild plants and animals. Our Hamilton Pollinator Paradise Project, a collaborative initiative with Butterflyway Hamilton and Environment Hamilton, aims to build a corridor of native plant gardens across Hamilton to provide food and shelter for pollinators. Our organizations work together to engage the community, share materials and resources, and support biodiversity in Hamilton. Knowledgeable volunteers from HNC and Butterflyway Hamilton will be on hand to answer questions and share native plant seeds.
Roots to Justice
Roots to Justice is a community-based organization that aims to prioritize sustainable access to locally-grown food for Black and Indigenous, racialized, and disabled communities. They seek to create and facilitate the growth of community that enables everyone to learn from and help each other. This is accomplished with the Roots Learning Garden located at J.C. Beemer Park. An accessible learning garden where community members, and anyone who wants to participate, can learn about gardening from each other and harvest locally-grown food.
During the growing season, there are drop-in garden sessions for all to attend and participate in the maintenance of the garden, and a youth mentorship program for youth to develop their growing skills while learning about food insecurity.
Sage Seeds
Sage Seeds is a small seed collective committed to gathering and saving native seeds. Their primary focus is to preserve native Pawpaw seeds and provide education about this extraordinary tree. Sage Seeds is passionate about promoting genetic seed diversity and connecting community members with native seeds, particularly Pawpaw seeds. Educational materials will be provided, as well as opportunities to purchase hand-made, 100% biodegradable Pawpaw seed jewelry crafted by artist and founder, Sage Barker.
Ontario Native Plants
Ontario Native Plants is an online plant retailer dedicated to supplying native trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, and ferns to Ontario gardeners. We provide a convenient means of accessing native species. The model is simple: you order online, and we ship plants to your doorstep! All of the plants grown at our nursery come from Ontario source identified and genetically unique seed.
Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg/ McQuesten Urban Farm
As part of an initiative to increase food security in the McQuesten area, we have developed a 3+ acre urban farm in the green space behind the former St. Helen's school in Hamilton Ontario. Not only does our urban farm address the issue of securing a nutritious and sustainable food source for the community, but is creating a positive change in the neighbourhood by; providing volunteer opportunities for citizens of all ages, adding economic value to the community, and fostering strong bonds amongst residents in McQuesten.
We believe that all people should have access to healthy and nutritious food, regardless of where they live or their socio-economic status. By developing an urban garden, we can create affordable food solutions right in McQuesten's own backyard. Our goal is to empower our community with fresh food, food security, job opportunities, and skills to build healthy people and healthy minds.
Action 13
Action 13 is a community-led climate action group based in Ward 13 (Dundas and Centre Flamborough). Part of Action 13's focus has been on creating and managing 6 seed libraries in Dundas in the belief that gardening encourages us to learn in a place-based context. It contributes to biodiversity, food production and soil health, all of which support pollinators and increase the adaptability of our community to the climate crisis. All our native plant seeds are locally sourced and processed by volunteers. We offer over 75 species of seed all categorized by garden type to assist the gardener in their planning.
Recomposition Collective
Recomposition Collective is a local, open-source, grassroots organization focused on developing localized systems of cultivation and utilization of key species of flora and fungi. They aim to make the methods they develop and document as accessible as possible for others to replicate in their efforts to lay the groundwork for a greener future for all.
The collective projects that are the most relevant to Seedy Saturday are those within its Dye Program, such as its Dye Grower's Network and Invasive Dyes Project where they are working to establish local dye sources to create everything from organically dyed textiles to pigments for paints, inks, and soaps.
Hamilton Conservation Authority
Hamilton Conservation Authority, located at the western end of Lake Ontario, is the area’s largest environmental management agency and is dedicated to the conservation and enjoyment of watershed lands and water resources.
Our Vision: A healthy watershed for everyone.
Our Mission: To lead in the conservation of our watershed and connect people to nature.
Branching Path Farm
Branching Path Farm is a small-scale permaculture-inspired farm operating in Norfolk County, growing plants, fresh produce, and preserves. We have been selling at the Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market in east Hamilton since 2017.
Flamborough Horticultural Society
Flamborough Horticultural Society is a Hamilton Garden Club in the Flamborough area. The Mission of the Flamborough Horticultural Society is to encourage interest and involvement in horticulture through monthly meetings, civic improvement, preservation, exhibitions, the distribution of plant materials and regular instruction pertaining to the theory and practice of horticulture.
Nancy’s Creations and Seeds
Nancy’s Creations and Seeds is a social enterprise bringing urban gardening knowledge and resources, building food sustainability, health and reducing waste through upcycled art.
Crown Point Garden Club
The Crown Point Garden Club is dedicated to fostering sustainable gardening practices and enhancing urban green spaces. Established in 2014, the club champions the creation and care of pollinator gardens, with a strong emphasis on promoting native plants to support local ecosystems. Known for its welcoming community spirit, the club encourages participation from both beginners and experienced gardeners. Through initiatives like the Pipeline Trail Pollinator Paradise and public workshops, the Crown Point Garden Club offers hands-on learning opportunities and community engagement activities, inspiring a love for gardening and environmental stewardship.
Giving Garden Project
The Giving Garden Project is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for long-term care residents by creating communal garden spaces that foster community, improve access to fresh produce, and provide therapeutic natural environments. The Giving Garden aims to make gardens accessible to all, with a focus on enriching the lives of long-term care residents by nurturing a sense of purpose through gardening, improving nutritional health, and fostering environmental stewardship.
WeeBeeHouse
WeeBeeHouse makes Native Bee Nesting Habitats that provide a predator-free sanctuary for egg-laying Mason and Leafcutter bees. These gentle bees are the most common type found in gardens and are prolific pollinators.
Conservation Halton
Conservation Halton was established more than 60 years ago to protect our communities from flooding and erosion but we have grown to become so much more. Today, it is our responsibility to prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change, support our partners in creating more sustainable communities, manage our natural areas and resources within the watershed, monitor and enhance the environmental health of our watershed and create opportunities to connect with nature through recreation and education. Together, we are working to ensure a healthy watershed with clean streams, abundant forests and natural habitats that are in balance with our growing communities and engaged residents.
North American Native Plant Society
North American Native Plant Society (NANPS) is dedicated to the study, conservation, cultivation and restoration of North America’s native flora. Our mission is to highlight the importance of native plants and actively promote their use throughout local communities, contributing to the broader goal of restoring healthy ecosystems across the continent.
Silver Creek Nursery
Silver Creek is a family-owned and operated fruit tree, rootstock & scionwood, berry and vine producer, grower & retailer. We provide folks across Canada with the opportunity to create a sustainable (and edible) future, one tree at a time. Our dream is that one day, everyone will be able to enjoy their own home-grown organic fruit- right off their own tree!
Black Swallow Living Soil
At Black Swallow Living Soil, we believe that healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving ecosystem. As a small and community-focused company, we are dedicated to nurturing both the earth and our local environment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, organic soil amendments that not only enhance soil health but also support sustainable gardening practices and promote biodiversity. We take pride in building relationships with our customers and neighbours, fostering a sense of community that values sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Green Light Garden
Does the shed, fence, or deck need repair? Would stronger shelves help organize your supplies? Is there an unwanted tree growing inside the fence? Is preparing that garden bed just too much this year? The team at GreenLightGarden.ca can help. They specialize in making small improvements, so you can better enjoy your garden time…you plant the seeds, and they pull the weeds. If you stop by their wheelbarrow at Seedy Saturday, you can ask about their carbon-neutral, quiet property care… it’s your chance to take home a free solitary bee house!
Hawthorn Farms
Hawthorn Farm grows certified organic, open-pollinated vegetable, herb, flower, and cover crop seeds in Central Ontario (zone 5a & 4b) which we offer to gardeners across Canada. We also offer an array of equipment to suit the needs of growers such as seeding trays, frost fleece, and tomato clips. Our farming has been certified organic by Pro-Cert since 1996 and after nearly two decades of growing, selecting, and saving organic seeds we now have hundreds of exciting, high-quality offerings for Canadian gardeners. We are passionate about seed and believe strongly that access to superior seed grown locally helps to build a more secure resilient food system."
Root Rescue
Root Rescue’s products are all-natural, certified organic, CFIA-registered, effective, and safe to use. Root Rescue Transplanter puts life back into the soil, restoring the fungal soil partners (mycorrhizae) that plant roots rely on to find water and nutrients. A healthy soil environment supports plants naturally, reducing or eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers or chemicals. Use Root Rescue’s Transplanter when you plant new landscape plants.
West Coast Seeds
At West Coast Seeds, we practice and teach the principles of organic growing and sustainable agriculture. We believe that food and all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals and that the seeds we supply are an important component of organic gardening. The growers are custodians of the land, nourishing soil through organic techniques to grow vigorous and sustainable gardens. We believe in eating locally produced foods, protecting pollinators, teaching people how to grow from seed, and supporting regional biodiversity through regenerative practices.
Better Than Bouquets
Better Than Bouquets was born to improve peoples' lives with fun plants, instead of dead flowers. Over time, connecting us to nature, ourselves, and each other have become a focus of the company, to compound sustainability with overall wellness at a green wellness destination.
Gaia Organic Seeds
Gaia Organics is a small seed company based in Ottawa, dedicated to nurturing biodiversity one seed at a time. With a collection of approximately 1,000 seed varieties, the company continually explores new ways to diversify its offerings. Specializing in heirloom seeds for home gardeners and bulk seeds for market growers, Gaia Organics takes pride in promoting organic seeds.
The company emphasizes that organic farming plays a crucial role in restoring soil health, achieving ecological balance, and ultimately improving human well-being. Gaia Organics believes that the collective impact of organic practices within communities is vital for long-term sustainability. By fostering this interdependence, the company aims to rebuild relationships among people, their communities, and the planet they call home.
Wears Flowers
Wears Flowers is a 70-year-old family-owned and operated business located In Hamilton. Their location at 1814 King Street E is a flower shop year round but during the spring it also transforms into a beautiful garden centre full of flowers of all shapes and sizes. They are a proud supporter of local small businesses with more than 90% of their garden centre plants coming from local, family-owned greenhouses.
Halton Master Gardeners
Halton Region Master Gardeners (HRMG) is a member of Master Gardeners of Ontario (MGOI Inc.), is a registered non-profit organization. The volunteers are experienced gardeners with diverse horticultural backgrounds who love to share their passion for gardening. Members have studied horticulture extensively and regularly upgrading skills through technical training and continuing education. Master Gardeners provides sustainable horticultural information and advice to the gardening public through presentations, participation in community events and our presence on social media. HRMG’s mission is to provide information, education and inspiration to gardeners in the communities of Ancaster, Burlington, Dundas, Flamborough Georgetown, Hamilton, Milton, Oakville and Waterdown.
Green Venture & Past Rebate Participant Panel
Presenting: A Rain Ready Garden Time: 10:30-11:30 Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Interested in installing a rain garden, permeable paving, or rainwater harvesting system in your yard? Thinking of applying in 2025 to the Rain Ready Rebate from Green Venture to receive funding for building these essential features to make your home stormwater ready and more climate resilient? Join us for a fun and casual discussion with prior rebate participants and Green Venture staff to hear more about what it's like participating in this program and installing these features.
The Gilded Grove
Presenting: Demystifying Design for the Home Gardener Time: 11:30-12:30 Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Join us in designing a residential garden with a practical look at plant choices, aesthetics, form, function, and budget - preparing you to take on your own garden design and installation.
Hamilton Conservation Authority
Presenting: Habitat at Home: How to enhance biodiversity everywhere and in between your garden. Time: 12:30-1:00 Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
So you've created the ultimate garden with all of your favourite trees, shrubs and herbaceous species. Now what? Have you considered how outdoor lighting might affect nocturnal wildlife? What’s hiding in your yard waste and where’s it headed? Is that some unconventional habitat hiding in plain sight? This workshop will show how you can complement your garden by increasing biodiversity while minimizing impacts around your home.
Branching Path Farm
Presenting: Working With “Weeds” Time: 1:10-1:40pm Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Ecological gardening, whether for personal or commercial purposes, involves working with nature in some capacity. When trying to grow food for human consumption, gardeners inevitably encounter invasive plants that we call “weeds.” Sometimes these so-called weeds are native species that fill important ecological roles. Many weeds are non-native species, but they, too serve useful functions for wildlife and humans as well. On our farm, many weeds help improve soil ecology, create biomass, feed and attract beneficial insects, and are edible and nutritious. All gardeners should be aware of some of these useful plants, and honour their roles in our landscapes.
Presenting: Native Plants in Gardens, Containers, & Bouquets Time: 1:50-2:50 pm Location: Hamilton Room/Wentworth room
Native plants are so important in supporting biodiversity and our environment, but their beauty is often overlooked. Our talk will expand the vision of what native plants are all about by discussing how they can be used in landscaping your garden, in containers, and inside your homes...all to beautiful effect.
Halton Master Gardeners
Halton Region Master Gardeners (HRMG) is a member of Master Gardeners of Ontario (MGOI Inc.), a registered non-profit organization. Our volunteers are experienced gardeners with diverse horticultural backgrounds who love to share their passion for gardening. We have studied horticulture extensively and regularly upgrade our skills through technical training and continuing education. Master Gardeners provides sustainable horticultural information and advice to the gardening public through presentations, participation in community events and our presence on social media.
HRMG’s mission is to provide information, education and inspiration to gardeners in the communities of Ancaster, Burlington, Dundas, Flamborough Georgetown, Hamilton, Milton, Oakville and Waterdown.
