Oak Bay Native Plant Garden

 

Oak Bay Native Plant Garden is in the seaside community of Oak Bay, one of thirteen areas of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. This landscaped quarter of an hectare contains a unique collection of locally grown plants in a nurtured setting.  A wood chip trail leads around the park. Stroll past Garry oak, pacific madrone, elderberry, dogwood and black hawthorn trees.   There is also a small pond complete with a trickling fountain with evergreen huckleberry, red flowering current, Oregon grape and mock orange shrubs. The undercover is beautiful with blooms from springtime flowering plants like camas, trillium and violets. Several ferns such as maiden hair, sword, licorice, oak and bracken might also be seen.   Benches are available in the parkland; the property was donated by Ada Beaven in memorial of her husband Hugo. The rose garden in Oak Bay has the same beneficiaries. The Beavens were both from influential and remarkable families during the early nine hundreds in the Oak Bay.

Geographic Location N48º 25’ 13”  W123º 18’ 1”

The Oak Bay Native Plant Garden can be reached from the Trans-Canada Highway. Continue along the Hwy 1 into Victoria as it becomes Douglas Street. Turn off Douglas onto Hillside Avenue to head east.  Stay on Hillside Avenue as it becomes Lansdowne Road. Continue along Lansdowne Road to reach Beach Drive. Continue along Beach Drive to reach Margate Street. The garden is across the road from the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.  To extend this into a walk, continue along beach Drive toward the Victoria Golf Course or to Turkey Head Walkway.  This park can be access by bus.

Rockland Woodland Garden

A unique neighborhood naturalized garden is found at the northern junction of Craigdarroch Road and Joan Crescent. Sown with native plants like snowberries, Oregon grape, sword fern, camas, western trumpet honeysuckle, Nootka rose and ocean spray, the garden represents the terrain of Southern Vancouver Island pre-eighteen hundred. Outcroppings of granite rocks cover much the ground around the taller Garry oak, big leaf maple and black locust trees. The maintenance of the natural garden is through cooperation between the Rockland Neighborhood Association, Central Middle School teachers and students and the City of Victoria. There are information signs near the footpath into the garden as well as along the twenty step staircase to the upper section of the woodland. This is a wonderful place to explore in your backyard.

Geographic coordinates N48° 25′ 24” W123° 20′ 40″

Rockland Woodland Garden can be reached from Blanchard Street. Turn east onto Fort Street and follow along to Joan Crescent, which is across from Central Middle School. Look for the signs toward Craigdarroch Castle as it is slightly further along Joan Crescent. Turn right onto Joan Crescent and look for the garden at the y-junction with Craigdarroch Road. There is limited roadside parking in this neighborhood. City buses travel along Fort Street between downtown and the University of Victoria.

 

Harbour Road Green Space

This post is updated here.

Tyee Road Green Space

Native Plant Garden, Victoria, BC

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Pembroke Native Plant Garden

Oaklands Green

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Oaklands Green