BellinaWell, of course it’s this weekend. After a quiet stretch on the plant event calendar, September 19 and 20 have decided to throw everything at us at once — bonsai in Niagara, orchids in Guelph, a full two-day expo near the airport, and free compost in Milton for anyone in Halton.
And where will I be? Elbow-deep in a compost pile. More on that at the bottom.
If you’re anywhere near any of these, go for me. Here’s everything you need to know.
Saturday, September 19
🌲 Niagara Bonsai Show — Welland
The Niagara Bonsai Society is back at Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop for the day, and honestly this is the one I’m most sad to miss. Bonsai people are some of the most generous hobbyists out there — they will talk your ear off about a tree they’ve been shaping for twenty years, and you will leave a different person.
- When: Saturday, September 19, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Where: Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop, 684 South Pelham Road, Welland
- Cost: Free. No tickets, no RSVP.
- What to expect: Bonsai displays from society members, live demonstrations, and expert advice.
There are two demos on the schedule — Bonsai Care at 10:30 a.m. (pruning, wiring, general keeping-it-alive) and Bonsai Specimen Selection & Repotting at 2 p.m., which is the one I’d want. Learning how to spot a garden centre plant with good bonsai bones is a genuinely useful skill.
Also: bonsai trees and bonsai pots are 15% off that day only. And Vermeer’s is running a Fall Festival alongside it from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with fall planters, games, popcorn and ice cream, so it’s an easy one to bring family along to.
More at vermeers.ca.
🌸 Orchid and Tropical Plant Sale — Guelph
The Central Ontario Orchid Society is hosting their orchid and tropical plant sale, and the vendor list is stacked. This is not a couple of tables in a church basement — this is a proper buying opportunity.
- When: Saturday, September 19, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Where: Trinity United Church, 400 Stevenson St N, Guelph, ON N1E 5C3
- Cost: Free admission
Vendors include: Roehampton Orchids, Anli’s Orchids Garden, C & C Orchids, Northernplantroom, Homegrown Carnivores, John Marcotte, Magic Oasis, DiCiommo Orchids, Crystal Star Nursery, and Orchids in Our Tropics.
Homegrown Carnivores being in that lineup is a nice bonus if you’ve been curious about nepenthes or sundews. And with that many orchid specialists in one room, you’re going to find species you will never, ever see at a big box store.
Bring cash as backup, bring a box, and go early if you want first pick of the good stuff.
🪴 Halton Region Fall Compost Giveaway — Milton
Free compost. Genuinely free, genuinely good compost, made from all the yard waste Halton collected this year.
- When: Saturday, September 19, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Where: Halton Waste Management Site, 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton
- Cost: Free — but Halton residents only, and proof of residency is required
What to bring: Your own shovel and your own containers. You load it yourself. Each household can take up to seven 120-litre containers (or the equivalent).
Halton also accepts non-perishable food donations for local food banks at the event, so if you’ve got room in the trunk on the way in, bring something.
This applies to Milton, Burlington, Oakville and Halton Hills residents. If you’re in Peel like me, you’re only going as someone’s helper. Ask me how I know.
Saturday AND Sunday, September 19–20
🌿 Canadian Reptile Breeders, Aquatic & Plant Expo — Mississauga
The big one. It’s billed as the Toronto show but it actually runs at the International Centre out by the airport, and the plant side of it has grown a lot — tropicals, rare succulents, terrarium plants, substrates, pots and botanical odds and ends, alongside the reptile and aquatic vendors.
- When: Saturday, September 19, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Sunday, September 20, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Where: The International Centre, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga
- Cost: Adults $22, Youth/Senior $15, Weekend Pass $30, Family Pass $50 (2 adults + 2 youth), kids 6 and under free. Tickets available at the gate.
If you only have one outing in you this weekend, this is the one with the most under one roof. It’s also the most expensive on the list, so go in with a number in your head — the substrate and terrarium vendors alone can quietly empty a wallet.
So where am I going to be?
Nowhere near any of it.
I’d have loved to spend Saturday driving to Welland or Guelph and coming home with something I absolutely did not need. Instead, I’m on family duty — I’m helping my sister out at Lavender Cottage, hauling free compost back for her garden. So instead of browsing orchids, I’ll be picking up a shovel.
(If you’re more of an outdoor garden person than a houseplant hoarder, go subscribe to her channel — Lavender Cottage is all garden beds, growing seasons and real dirt under the fingernails. The compost we’re hauling this weekend will probably turn up in a video eventually.)
Seven containers is a lot of compost, by the way. That’s not a quick errand — that’s a full day of loading, driving, unloading, and then doing it again.
The expo on Sunday is tempting. Very tempting. But I’m not sure I’ll have the energy after a full day of shovelling, and I know myself well enough to know that “I’ll see how I feel Sunday morning” usually means I’m going to be on the couch with a heating pad.
So if you’re in any of these areas, go without me. Stop in, pick yourself up something amazing, and then come back and tell me what I missed — I want to hear about every single thing, especially if you find something rare at the orchid sale. Tag me or drop it in the comments.
I’ll be fine. I’ll have compost. 🌱
