Grey County Master Gardeners
About Us
Susan Cox
Master Gardener and Group Coordinator
Since retiring from the public service and moving to Grey County, I now have the time and space to indulge my passion for gardening. I live near Kemble (north of Owen Sound) on a country property with many gardens filled with herbs, vegetables, fruits, shrubs, native and non-native perennials. Starting in early spring, you'll find me either in the greenhouse nurturing seedlings or in the garden weeding, pruning and planting. As a lifelong learner, I love to share my passion for gardening.
Ann Joyner
Master Gardener and Presentations and Events Coordinator
Ann has been a Master Gardener since 2020. Ann has a Master’s of Environmental Studies from York University and is a lifelong gardener. She has spent her working and private life devoted to protecting our natural spaces and ecosystems as a consulting Professional Planner and University lecturer. She joined the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway project as a Ranger in 2022. Over her life, she has grown vegetables, berries, hops, fruit trees, ornamental and pollinator plants to support her bee hives. Her current garden demonstrates how native plants and perennial food plants can be used to create an ornamental and engaging space. Ann is particularly interested in exploring how each and every garden can contribute to ecosystem health and support our native insects and other animal species while bringing joy to the garden user.
Stephanie Fletcher
Master Gardener and Communications Coordinator.
Stephanie attained her horticulture diploma from the University of Guelph (2023) and her MBA from Nottingham Business School, UK (2003). Stephanie and her husband reside in Thornbury, Blue Mountains.
In her previous career, Stephanie held senior level roles in product management and product marketing in both the insurance and legal research industries. She tended her garden in her free time, and it became a great stress reliever and creative outlet.
Now she puts her energies into outreach, advising and educating would-be gardeners in all things garden.
Stephanie is a great believer in having fun and experimenting while getting her hands dirty.
Vicky Thompson
Master Gardener and Membership Coordinator.
Vicky Thompson has been a member of Grey County Master Gardeners since 2013. She gardens in downtown Owen Sound and at the family cottage on the Bruce Peninsula. A major interest (and challenge) is making home gardens more ecologically responsible – more a part of nature. As a retired physician Vicky is also interested in the links between gardening, plants and human health.
These interests coalesce in a passion for native plants – growing native plants from seed and planting them wherever possible is her focus in gardening. Our native plants are crucial for the survival of our native insects, which are crucial for the health of our ecology. The link between ecology and human health becomes more obvious, and important all the time.
Carole Warren
Master Gardener and Events Coordinator.
Carole has had a varied career - as a musician, sheep farmer, strawberry grower and long-time CBC Radio producer.
She currently lives in Owen Sound, where she’s in the process of making her gardens more pollinator-friendly.
Courtney Brull
Master Gardener in Training and Education Coordinator
Rebecca Baker
Master Gardener and GCMG Treasurer.
Rebecca has been a Master Gardener for 14 years and lives in Conn at the south end of Grey County.
Rebecca inherited her love of gardening from her mother and her artistic talent from her father.
She earned her Horticulturist and Landscape Design Diploma with Distinction from the University of Guelph.
She operates her own business, Frog Fen Gardens, and loves to work with plants and teach others about them.
Shirley Thorn
Master Gardener in Training and GCMG Secretary
I have always had a desire to do more gardening in both ornamentals and vegetables, but recently I am drawn to exploring more native perennials and pollinators as well as where best to use non-native perennials.
I have pond areas that I would like to fill with native plants that will thrive in the ecosystem. The area must be a conducive habitat for the current pond inhabitants and wildlife while attracting additional species. In addition, these gardens must be fairly low maintenance and visually pleasing.
This has become a very enjoyable journey switching from the healthcare of people to learning how to care for plants.
Elizabeth Brims
Master Gardener and Vice Group Coordinator
Passionate about all things gardening, Elizabeth became a Master Gardener in 2006. She a Horticulturalist from Guelph University and a member of Master Gardeners of Ontario. She is also a graduate from the Ivey School of Business, Western University. Elizabeth has held a variety of senior management roles in human services over her career with a focus on poverty reduction, food insecurity and homelessness.
In 2021 Elizabeth joined the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway project as a Ranger and co-founded Pollinate Town of the Blue Mountains.
Her enthusiasm for gardening came from her mother, who taught her that with good soil, patience, and love, almost everything will blossom. Her love for gardening is shared with her youngest daughter who is an avid veggie gardener and plant enthusiast in Kelowna, BC.
Elizabeth firmly believes that there is always room for one more plant in every garden.
Karen Young
Master Gardener.
Karen makes her home in Bognor, a small village located between Owen Sound and Meaford. She opened her business Willow Farm Grasses in 2012. Leaving a 16 year career as a teacher, Karen dove headfirst into the seedy world of grasses. Developing the most varied and hardy collection of ornamental varieties became her passion.
When she is not watering, planting or propagating, Karen loves to pull weeds, hike and travel. She has been an active member of the Grey County Master Gardeners since 2010 where she has continued to develop her love and knowledge of native plants.
Jennifer Deeks
Master Gardener.
Originally from Mississauga, Jennifer has been based in Owen Sound since 2019. She has a diploma in horticulture from the University of Guelph and owns and operates Jenny’s Farm – a small landscape company. When the winter weather hides the gardens, her collection of over 150 houseplants gets much more of her time and attention.
With a particular interest in plant propagation – particularly of native species, her most exciting new acquisition is a small greenhouse to experiment with a longer growing season.
Jennifer generally enjoys caring for living things and is also a Registered Veterinary Technician of 23 years and counting. She considers herself a lifelong learner and is currently working towards a specialized veterinary certification. When not working, you can find Jennifer combining her two favourite things by spending time in her own gardens with her bearded collies, Watson and Moriarty.
Andree Levie Warrilow
Master Gardener.
Andrée believes in the importance of volunteers for the betterment of the community.
In 2011 she received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award for 20 years of volunteering; these days she brings books to seniors through the OS Library Outreach Program, and of course volunteers as a Grey County Master Gardener.
A bibliophile who loves research, she’s a published author, poet, and blogger with the Ascribe Writers, and has reviewed many books on gardening. Andrée provides content for GCMG’s Facebook Page, encouraging gardeners to learn about and adopt sustainable gardening practices with science - based articles from horticultural and environmental experts.
Andrée greatly enjoys meeting and helping fellow gardeners at GCMG Clinics, providing viable solutions for garden challenges while encouraging support for a healthy ecosystem for future generations. Speaking of, her adult children have homes full of plants and love gardening - as does her 4 year old grandson!
Margot Byers
Master Gardener.
Margot always loved plants and gardening which she inherited from her Dutch parents.
She is a Horticulturist and Landscape Designer, a Master Gardener for 16 years, and operates her own business, Ladybird Garden Designs.
She enjoys sharing her design and plant knowledge with anyone interested in gardening.
Paulette Kirkey
Master Gardener.
Tory Bowman
Master Gardener in Training.
Tory Bowman has worked in the field of disability services for 20 years. She holds a master's degree in adult education and community development from OISE/UofT. She co-hosts a community television program on Rogers TV Simcoe called Underestimated, a show about breaking barriers for people with disabilities. She lives in Collingwood with her family and two rascally cats and she loves to garden, paddle and ski.
Tory is most interested in gardening for wildlife and Ontario native plants, with a side project of growing enough greens to avoid the grocery store from May through November. Tory joined Grey County Master Gardeners in 2022 and is a Master Gardener in Training.
Becky Bouwmeester
Master Gardener in Training.
A relatively newer transplant to the area, Becky moved to Grey County onto a small beef/hobby farm with her family in 2014. Coming from a background in graphic arts, Becky has always been passionate about all things green. This deep interest was ignited early in life when she found happiness and success rescuing plants from the reduced rack at her local grocery store.
Fast forward to today, having spent over 15 years working in the nursery industry both wholesale and retail as well as running a local garden centre, she made the leap to starting her own business, the Williamsford Landscape Co.
Becky is working at obtaining her Master Gardeners accreditation as an MGIT, and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience meeting other horticulturists, expanding her knowledge and networking with such a great group!
...She also continues to still collect plants off the reduced rack, but now has even better success thanks her years of collected knowledge, and advice from her fellow MG peers.
Jenna Vandermey
Master Gardener in Training.
Jenna was raised among the monuments of a peaceful and quiet cemetery in North York, Ontario. It was there that her passion for horticulture bloomed, passed down by her father and several generations of passionate Dutch gardeners.
In August 2018, Jenna graduated with distinction from the University of Guelph with her diploma in Horticulture and certificate in Creating Landscapes.
She is especially motivated to make positive impacts in areas of sustainability, ecological conservation, and naturalizing landscapes.
Jenna values community connection and continues to volunteer with the Meaford Community Gardens helping to fight against food insecurity. She currently works at Grey Heron Garden center in Meaford, providing ongoing trusted gardening advice to clients. She is eagerly looking forward to her new journey with the GCMG by helping to motivate and inspire home gardeners within Grey County.
Tamra Salvadore
Master Gardener in Training.
