A Garden Lover's Tour of Vancouver Island
By
Margaret Cadwaladar
(Cadwaladar is the author of In Veronica's
Garden - The Social History of the Milner Gardens and Woodland)
(The lovely Butchart Gardens, pictured above).
From large and small, urban or isolated, to woodland estates or formal show gardens, Vancouver Island is a garden lovers' dream.
A tour of the landscape showcases the beauty of these temperate Island gardens - all within close proximity of ocean and forest.
Leg
One
For those who love to walk, the City of Victoria, noted as the "garden
city" of Canada, is an ideal locale. Butchart Gardens, open 365 days a year,
is the most famous of island gardens.
There are rhododendrons in spring, roses in summer, fireworks in July and August, colourful autumn maples and a spectacular annual Christmas light display.
This year is very special, however. Jennie Butchart began to develop the garden in a limestone quarry in 1904, thus the gardens will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2004. Many exceptional events are planned for this year-long birthday celebration.
Like Butchart Gardens, Victoria Butterfly Gardens and the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific are located on the Saanich Peninsula. A stroll through the Butterfly Gardens is to be transported to a tropical fantasy. Members of the 35 imported species of butterflies gracefully fly among tropical plants and orchids in the covered garden.
The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific is an educational and demonstration centre featuring a broad collection of the plants, shrubs and trees that grow on Vancouver Island. Open daily for tours, special events and lectures are often scheduled at the centre and the wetlands are ideal for bird watching.
Victoria also features a number of public gardens and parks, many of which are located in the heart of town.
Beacon Hill Park, located off Dallas Road, is a short distance from the Provincial Legislature Buildings. A walk here promises an excursion through both formal gardens and wildflower meadows.
In addition, the Gary Oak meadow park links to the gardens at St. Ann's Academy, a former girls' school which is surrounded by a mature, stately garden with a historic orchard, herb and perennial beds.
A few kilometres away is the lovely one-acre AbkhaziGardens, a small heritage garden which features native Garry Oaks, Japanese Maples and splendid rhododendrons set in a rocky outcrop. A gift shop and tearoom help support the garden.
Located a short walk from Abkhazi Gardens is Government House, an estate which is home to the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, the Queen's representative in the province. The grounds, open from dawn to dusk, are easily accessible and feature a rose garden, perennial and herb gardens.
Also worthy of a visit is Hatley Park Castle, a National Historic Site located on the campus of RoyalRoadsUniversity. The oceanfront estate was built in the early 1900s as the home of James Dunsmuir, son of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. The gardens are open year round and include rose and Italian gardens.
Leg
Two
After your visit to Victoria, head north on the Trans Canada highway
to Qualicum Beach, the junction for Highway 4 to the West Coast ocean beaches.
On the two-hour trek, make time to stop along the way at some of the smaller gardens
such as Hazelwood Herb farm near Ladysmith. Pack a lunch and enjoy the peaceful
and fragrant surroundings.
Qualicum Beach boasts a pedestrian-friendly downtown, with numerous hanging baskets and floral displays adorning the busy streets. Selected as a winner in the international Communities in Bloom competition, Qualicum Beach provides an ideal showcase for the creativity of the town's numerous gardening enthusiasts.
The Milner Gardens and Woodland, featuring a seventy acre jewel of Douglas fir forest and heritage garden, is a must see while at Qualicum Beach.
The ocean-side historic estate features an old-growth Douglas fir forest as well as a ten-acre woodland garden with 450 or so rhododendrons with an undergrowth of native plants. Enjoy a magnificent view of the Strait of Georgia from the drawing room or veranda while sipping afternoon tea.
After your visit to Qualicum Beach, head west on Highway 4 for the two and one half hour drive to Tofino.
While on the West Coast, you will want to visit the spectacular ocean beaches and Pacific RimNational Park for beachcombing, fishing, whale watching or relaxing.
While in the area, a visit to the Tofino Botanical Garden is a must. The garden is set in a rainforest site and has an interesting quirky and idiosyncratic side. The owner's sense of whimsy is reflected in the juxtaposition of sculpture, while a few surprises await with the inclusion of exotic and native plants. Café Pamploma, set in the five-hectare garden, is a wonderful stop for lunch.
Return to Qualicum Beach and then head north on Highway 19 (or 19 A for the more leisurely Oceanside route). Here you will find the Filberg Heritage lodge, located in the pretty coastal town of Comox. The park is open from April until October and admission is free.
Fifteen minutes north on Highway 19 is the Kitty ColemanWoodland Garden. An extensive network of meandering trails wind through this beautiful natural setting.
Northern Vancouver Island houses its share of viewing for the more adventurous. The most northerly garden on Vancouver Island is the Bernt RonningGarden.
Set aside a half a day for the drive north to Port Hardy and then head west for about one and a half hours towards Cape Scott Park. Located just past the town of Holberg, the final leg of the trip is a ten-minute walk on a restored section of the pioneer San Josef Wagon Road. A sign on the right hand side of the road marks the garden entrance.
Ronning was a trapper, fisherman and homesteader who settled in the area in 1910 and planted exotic trees and shrubs. Once almost lost to the encroaching forest, the grounds contain rhododendrons and trees that survived years of abandonment. The garden is best known for a pair of monkey-puzzle trees that grow near the old house site.
The Nimpkish River, south of Port Hardy, is the location of Bill and Marylyn Shepherd's garden. The four acre site has a multi-season theme built around perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees.
Take
the time to follow a unique forest trail to the NimpkishRiver, part of the largest
river system on Vancouver Island. This trek will certainly prove a memorable finale
to your garden Island tour.
How to Discover BC
Discovering
British Columbia is as easy as calling toll-free (800)HELLO BC (North America)
or HELLOBC (Greater Vancouver).
This reservation and information service puts you in touch with a team of professional travel experts who can provide free help and advice in planning or booking every stage of your getaway, from travel ideas and tips to booking your accommodations, tours, and transportation.
You can also order a free copy of the BC Escapes Getaways Guide. And be sure to check out the Tourism British Columbia web site at www.HelloBC.com.
Contact
Information:
Tourism Vancouver Island
www.islands.bc.ca
Vancouver
IslandGardens Association
www.vancouverislandgardens.com
Butchart
Gardens
800 Benvenuto Ave, BrentwoodBay
(250) 652-4422
www.butchartgardens.com
Victoria
Butterfly Gardens
1461 Benvenuto Ave, BrentwoodBay
(250) 652-3822
www.butterflygardens.com
Horticulture
Centre of the Pacific
505 Quayle Road, Victoria
(250) 479-6162
www.hcp.bc.ca
Beacon
Hill Park
Off Dallas Road, downtown Victoria
St. Ann's Academy
835 Humboldt St., Victoria, BC
(250) 953-8828
Hatley
Park National Historic Site
2005 Sooke Road, Victoria
(250) 391-2511
www.royalroads.ca
Open all year
AbkhaziGardens
1964 Fairfield Road, Victoria
(250) 598-8096
www.conservancy.bc.ca/abkhazi
Open March 1 - September
30, Daily from 11 - 5 p.m.
Government
House
1401 Rockland Ave., Victoria
www.ltgov.bc.ca
Open daily dawn to dusk
Hazelwood
Herb Farm
13576 Adshead Road
Ladysmith, BC
Tel: (250) 245-8007
www.hazelwoodherbfarm.com
April-September 11-5 daily
October-December, Fri-Sun, 11-5
Milner
Gardens and Woodland
2179 West Island Highway, QualicumBeach
(250) 752-6153
www.milnergardens.org
Tofino
Botanical Gardens
1084 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, BC
1-250-725-1220
www.tofinobotanicalgardens.com
Open year round, 9 a.m. to dusk
Kitty
Coleman Woodland Gardens
6183 Whittaker Road, Courtney, BC
(250) 338-6901
www.woodlandgardens.ca
Open
All Year
Filberg
Heritage Lodge and Park
61 Filberg Road, Comox, BC, V9M 2S7
(250) 339-2715
www.filbergfestival.com/lodge.html
The Bernt
Ronning Garden
Box 105Holberg, BC
(250) 288-3724
Open all year
The Shephards'
Garden
920 Nicholson Road, Port McNeil
Open daily, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
June-September
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