Explore Gardens of Victoria, British Columbia

Far more than just a series of pretty plantings, the HCP is a wonderful educational space with a great diversity of gardens that serve as models for homeowners seeking ideas. For example, the Urban Garden demonstrates creative ways to organically grow edibles on a small lot, while the Herb Garden explains the customized maintenance that is needed to care for such plants including thinning and harvesting.

Stephanie especially likes the Cutting Garden, as well as the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies Garden, admitting she gets delightfully “overwhelmed with scent”. These are also fun spaces to crouch down and take photographs from an “ant's-eye view”.

The former private home of exiled Georgian Prince Nicholas Abkhazi and his wife, this 1-acre garden was designed to make the most of the dramatic rocky lot rather than be stifled by its limitations, the most significant of which was the lack of deep soil. The couple spent their lives collecting plants to enhance and embrace the natural beauty of this landscape.

Stephanie appreciates this garden for its natural setting and the beautiful vignettes. “It’s like going through a jewel box of treasures,” with carpets of naturalized bulbs, choice alpines, and magnificent native Garry oaks joined by conifers and Japanese maples, as deeper pockets of soil allow.

This 200-acre public park in downtown Victoria brings everyone together; tourists out for a stroll, garden lovers who love to see the magnificent Garry oaks and Rose Garden, and families visiting the water parks and kids farm. In fact, Stephanie insists that the farm is a highlight for kids of all ages, especially if you catch the “running of the goats” at the end of the day. “It’s a goat stampede!” Stephanie laughs as she describes how the animals are moved from the petting zoo back to the stables at night.