You can never say with any certainty when a flower will bloom or what the weather will be like on a given date, months into the future. When planning an event such as a garden tour - you can only Hope.
Planning a trip to attend a garden tour is equally as uncertain. But we packed our suitcases in the hope that the sun would shine, the flowers would bloom and that we would be blessed with a little good luck on this, our first visit to the VCM Mother's Day Garden Tour.
We were not disappointed.
Some island locals may have felt Spring was late this year but to our little group, journeying to Victoria from Alberta, it felt like Spring had well and truly arrived.
So it was with much excitement that we began our three-day garden fest! I will share the gardens in the order we visited them through the beautiful "Garden City" of Victoria, B.C.
First up was a small garden, as lovely as it was unique, on Rudlin Street...
Rudlin Street
Foul Bay Road
A short distance away we arrived at a historic home and had I been a little more "with it" I would have thought to take photos of the house. I, however, was fixated on the gardens.
"Emily Carr frequented the garden of this Maclure home, first established in the early 1900s. You will see rhodos, dogwoods, roses, rockery, and many flowering shrubs and bulbs."
To my delight, the tulips were out in abundance but other plants that we may have expected to see were delayed due to the unseasonably cool weather.
I met the gardener for this property and he seemed pleased when I asked if this tulip was the Canada 150. He went on to share that he and the garden staff had worked for 5 years rehabbing and renewing the grounds to their present state. Which was beautiful. This was the first time the garden had been opened to the public since the project began.
We were treated to live music courtesy of the conservatory members whenever the weather allowed.
This garden elephant seemed to be admiring the blossoms too.
It will be months before I see a clematis blossom on my vines, but the owners of this property can enjoy these beauties already.
Dalhousie Street
"Mixed among colourful found objects are perennials and annuals that add a dramatic effect to the use of mirrors and sculptures in the garden. See the water fountain made from recycled "bits & bobs".
I wouldn't dare put this much glass and china in my garden for fear the hail would smash it.
Rutland Road
For once I remembered to get some shots of the whole yard. What a yard it was!
"Enter the spring perennial garden with unusual bulbs on your way to a Japanese style garden with a bonsai collection. The back garden contains tall rescued rhodos underplanted with woodland plants, and across the lawn is a Mediterranean garden complete with espaliered fruit trees."
I'm conflicted about how I feel regarding this hybrid tulip - I love many of the new tulips but I think this may have taken hybridization a wee bit too far. Guess I am more of a traditionalist.
Don't you just feel for this fellow? I do!
Thus ends day one of the VCM Mother's Day Garden Tour. I am thankful it was a two day event or we wouldn't make it around to all the gardens even if we skipped lunch.
I'll begin my next blog with a very unique garden that we visited the morning of day two - Mother's Day.
Credits:
C.J. Bennington Fine Art Photography