Charlie Dobbin is an internationally known horticulturist and landscape designer, with professional gardening experience that has taken her around the world, from the Yukon to Botswana. She is a Master Gardener with a BSc in Environmental Horticulture from Guelph University, and a Landscape Design Diploma from Ryerson University. During 18 years at garden retailer White Rose, Charlie worked as a Store Manager, Planning Department Manager, and Horticultural Supervisor, eventually becoming the Manager of Special Projects and Horticultural Spokesperson for the company. While at White Rose, she wrote for and edited a widely circulated Yard & Garden Guide, as well as conducting seminars and demonstrations for the public, writing a number of articles for newspapers and magazines, and making guest appearances on over a hundred television programs. In 2002, Charlie left White Rose to start her own landscape design and horticultural consulting company, Garden Solutions by Charlie Dobbin. She was co-host of HGTV's "One Garden, Two Looks" (2002-2007), Judge for Communities in Bloom Ontario (2004-2012), and spent more than a decade as the Horticultural Director for Canada Blooms, Canada's largest Flower and Garden Show. Charlie was also the Garden Director for the 2015 Luminato Festival in David Pecaut Square in Toronto.
Currently, Charlie continues to operate her consulting and design business, and appears as a guest speaker at horticultural societies, flower and garden festivals, etc., where she provides entertaining and informative seminars and presentations. She is the host of "The Garden Show with Charlie Dobbin", which airs every Saturday morning at 9am ET on Zoomer Radio (am740/96.7fm), and is available for download here or as a podcast through iTunes. Charlie is also a college instructor, and has been teaching at Durham College since 2015.
Charlie's designs are focused on biodiversity and sustainable gardening practices.
Charlie is passionate about pollinators and doing her part to incorporate habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds into her landscape designs. She is also focused on monarch butterfly conservation and promoting food sources for honeybees.
This is a great video that was sent to Charlie featuring the sound of millions of monarchs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7SSt0hqu6Y
Here are some helpful links to help support monarch butterflies: https://www.zoomerradio.ca/blogs/station-blog/charlie-dobbins-helpful-links-to-support-monarch-butterflies/
In everything she does, Charlie aims to educate and spread awareness. Whether she is teaching a college course, answering gardening questions live on her radio show, providing a seminar or workshop, or developing a garden design, Charlie is always ready to share her wealth of knowledge. As a garden coach, Charlie gets into the garden with you to teach proper pruning techniques, seasonal maintenance, growing edibles, and more.