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This edition features Head Gardener's Message, Arts & Music reminder, Community Ed, & HCP Kids Youth program highlights, plus the Bookend. We hope you enjoy it.
Horticulture Centre of the Pacific - July 2025 eNews
Our Mission is to bring a diversity of people together to learn, enjoy and participate in the rewards of horticulture and environmental stewardship.
"Our 31st annual Arts & Music in the Gardens at HCP, this August 9th and 10th! Admission is $10 (including members), children under 12 are free.
100% of admission proceeds goes toward keeping the Gardens growing."
We hope to see you there! We are still looking for volunteers!
If you're interested in volunteering, visit our sign-up link here!
Goat’s Rue (Galega officinalis) is a highly invasive plant that has been confirmed present at the HCP.
Goat’s Rue is a perennial that is native to Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. Because of its high risk of agricultural and ecological impact and its current limited extent in BC, it is listed for eradication province-wide by the provincial Invasive Species Program in accordance with provincial regulation. The federal Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also regulates this species under the Canada Seed Act, and considers it a prohibited noxious weed seed under the federal Weed Seeds Order (2016).
The HCP is working with the provincial Ministry of Forests Invasive Species Program to eradicate Goat’s Rue from our lands. This is a multi-year effort that requires annual surveying and targeted application of herbicides. Due to the depth of the tap root, the extent of the infestations, and the ecological and agricultural risks if it spreads further, manual removal is not an option.
The provincial Invasive Plant Program prescription is to treat actively growing plants using a targeted foliar application of a glyphosate-based herbicide using a hand pump backpack sprayer. Glyphosate is systemic active ingredient and will be carried inside each plant, from the foliage to the roots, destroying the plants in their entirety. Because glyphosate is non-selective, extreme care will be taken to target only the Goat’s Rue and shields and wand cones will be used to prevent drift to adjacent desirable plants. The glyphosate will remain active in the soil for only a short time. Treatment will begin July 10th. This will be the second year of treatment.
Although glyphosate is only active in the soil for a very short time, the treated areas (both plants and soil) are to be left undisturbed for up to three weeks after the treatment to ensure the herbicide can effectively translocate to all parts of the plant. The treated areas can then be revegetated with desirable plants to help shade out any Goat’s Rue plants that might germinate from the seed bank.
More HCP Community Education arts & horticulture classes are on the horizon this summer. Still to come in July, get an in-depth introduction to 20 plants for the ornamental garden with plant expert Jane Tice, drop in for Thursday morning Yoga in the Gardens, try shibori dye techniques in the Indigo Shindigo workshop, experiment with eco-printing on cotton and get tips on how make your garden more beautiful and sustainable with Bethay Couture. For the latest updates, join the Community Education E-news, or visit this summary of all classes currently open for registration, including classes for fall that have just been announced!
If you are interested in the 2026 Master Gardener Basic Training Program (Jan-May), this is a great time tojoin the Master Gardener interest list to receive all the registration details as soon as they are available in a few weeks. Registration will open in September for this very popular course - only 24 spaces are available.
Picnic in the Gardens returns on Thursday, July 31st - we will be open from 5:00-8:00 pm. Admission is by donation. Bring a picnic from home or support a local restaurant with a takeout order (no food vendors on site, no alcohol permitted).
Bring your family and friends, a picnic blanket or folding chairs, and enjoy live music and a beautiful setting for a summer's evening to remember.
The HCP Mixed Borders
Take a tour around the HCP Mixed Borders to see a rich contrast of plant colour, texture and size. From bare land in 1996, the Hardy Plant Group, part of the Victoria Horticultural Society, has supported and developed three beds full of perennials, shrubs, vines, bulbs and annuals, plus a few small trees.
Mixed borders are a traditional garden design that was developed in England in the 1930s, combining various plant types for a harmonious and visually appealing effect. The Mixed Borders at the HCP offer a west coast twist – incorporating a woodland garden and a crevice garden in the mix. Hardy Plant Group members try out new introductions every year to keep the beds interesting.
At the borders a succession of bloom and foliage starts in February and marches on to November. Right now Lobelia tupa is making a show, flowers have opened on the Calycanthus x raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ (Raulston’s allspice), and new green foliage is flushing out on the dark purple Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb'. Phygelius aequalis ‘Yellow Trumpet’ and ‘Passionate’ are blooming, Daphne x transatlantica. ‘Eternal Fragrance’ has flowered and Persicaria polymorphum is in full bloom. It’s a great time to visit the garden!
Next time you're exploring The Gardens, be sure to stop by our cozy, ever-growing gift shop. Discover a thoughtfully curated selection of locally crafted treasures, including handmade soaps, wood-burned coasters, flower-embedded resin earrings, and gardening essentials like West Coast Seeds, Hori Hori garden tools, books, and more.
Keep an eye out for new arrivals like Queen Bee Farm teas and handcrafted ceramics, as well as the return of The Gardens lip balm by Whiffcraft, made exclusively for HCP. Whether you're treating yourself or searching for the perfect gift, our shop offers something special to take home and remember your visit by.
Fairy gardens can always use a refresh and creating with clay and recyclable materials is a fun way to do this. This is also a great way to create a first garden using the take-aways created here to entice the fairies to visit or stay.
Garden entrance is discounted to $9 with a same-day C&Q receipt {children under 16 receive complimentary entry}.
Hours: Weds to Sunday 9am-3pm
FEEL WORLDS AWAY | DINE WITH THE FLOWERS "Charlotte & The Quail" has called The Gardens home since 2010. "Our lives have forever changed with the time spent here. The Gardens have given us perspective, peace & patience. The seasons have offered us repetition, reminders & reassurance.
Library is open for browsing and borrowing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. Check out the Library Catalog
Gardening With Less Water David A. Bainbridge 2015
This 127 page DIY book describes low cost, super-efficient irrigation systems. The author claims “you can double, triple, quadruple or even further increase your water use efficiency.” He presents historical solutions developed globally over millennia to modern day systems for rain water harvesting, storage and planned water release. With increased climate variability and the prediction of severe droughts in the future, the solutions Mr. Bainbridge describes are especially important to consider.
The book provides descriptive instruction, coloured diagrams and clear photographs to illustrate the following systems: buried clay pots or clay pipes, porous capsules, water wicks, deep pipes, porous hose, and tree shelters. The author offers many water-wise gardening tips with landscaping suggestions for water catchment. The final chapter talks about developing a plan for your garden, patio or farm. The author urges readers to start the conversation about water management with friends, family, neighbours, local and federal governments.
The book has a Supply List, a webpage resource and an index to topics.
Visit the HCP Library in person Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 am to 1pm.
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