Fall Study Day
Saturday October 25th, 2025
10:00 am – 3:45 pm
REGISTRATION
Registration is $50.00 for members, by sending an e-transfer to danaatvhpg @ gmail.com before Oct. 19, 2025.
Non-members and at the door tickets will cost $60.00.
Please note: it is VERY IMPORTANT to put the name(s) of the attendees in the notes section of the e-transfer.
We actually do read this section and need this information ESPECIALLY if the legal name of the sender of the e-transfer is different from that of the attendee.
If you prefer to pay by cheque, please ensure it’s made out to VANCOUVER HARDY PLANT GROUP and mail it to Elizabeth Taylor, 3642 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver, V6R 1H2 by Oct. 15th, 2025.
SPEAKERS
Charlotte Harris
Co-founder Harris Bugg Studio, Exeter/London/Isle of Skye, UK
Gardens as Stories:
Landscapes of Connection and Purpose
Charlotte Harris is an award-winning landscape designer and co-founder of Harris Bugg Studio, known for shaping some of the most evocative and environmentally responsive gardens being made today. She has won three RHS Chelsea Gold Medals, including Best in Show in 2023, and is widely recognized as one of the leading voices in contemporary British landscape design.
Charlotte’s work begins with deep listening — to the land, its stories, and the people it serves. Whether reimagining the Barbican Conservatory with immersive planting that is in dialogue with the Brutalist architecture or designing Horatio’s Garden Sheffield (with Hugo Bugg) as a sanctuary for spinal cord injury patients and NHS staff, her gardens are built to evolve and deepen over time.
Trained at Merrist Wood following a BA in History, and having worked with Tom Stuart-Smith, her design sensibility is informed by a deep interest in cultural, historical and environmental narratives. She is an RHS Show Garden judge, Contributing Editor at Gardens Illustrated, and a passionate advocate for greater equity in design and horticulture.
Charlotte’s gardens are celebrated for their emotional resonance, elegant planting, and strong sense of place.
Harris Bugg Studio works across the UK and internationally, with a portfolio spanning private estates, botanic gardens, and landmark urban developments. Described by the RHS as “pioneering design talents of their generation,” they are celebrated for soulful, seasonal planting; a deep commitment to biodiversity and regenerative design; and landscapes that reflect both people and place. Winners of six RHS Gold Medals and multiple national and international awards, their work combines design elegance with ecological depth — shaping some of the most progressive and purposeful landscapes being made today.
Richie Steffen
Miller Garden Executive Director,
Seattle, Washington
Elizabeth Miller Garden Update
Anyone who is acquainted with Richie knows he has horticultural exuberance! He loves plants and he willingly shares his vast knowledge of the plant kingdom. Richie joined the Miller Garden in 2000, bringing with him a variety of horticultural expertise. After moving from Maryland to Seattle in 1989, he worked at Sky Nursery in Shoreline, the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, and as a part-time instructor for the horticulture program at Edmonds Community College before beginning work at the Miller Garden. In May 2017 Richie became director of the Miller Garden and he oversees all aspects of the Garden, including the plant collections, educational programs, and staff.
He also currently serves as a board member of the Northwest Horticultural Society as well as board member and president of the Hardy Fern Foundation.
Richie is always on the hunt for what is new in horticulture throughout the country by travelling, plant collecting, visiting gardens and networking with other horticulture professionals. He regularly lectures and writes and is always ready to share his love for plants. Richie also enjoys photography and his photos can be seen in many regional publications as well as the websites for the Miller Garden and Great Plant Picks.
Cameron Kidd
Victoria, British Columbia
Cultivating Success Through Trial and Error
Cameron Kidd is an enthusiastic rock and crevice gardener from Victoria, BC, with a passion for cultivating a diverse range of plants. With a special interest in geophytes, succulents, woodland plants, and spring ephemerals, Cameron enjoys experimenting with seeds from around the globe. His garden, located in a coastal temperate climate, features various aspects, habitats, and micro-climates that allow him to push the boundaries of what can thrive.
Embracing a trial-and-error approach, Cameron continually discovers what works best in his unique gardening environment. Join him as he shares insights and experiences from this extraordinary gardening journey.