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This edition features Head Gardener's Message: "Plant Sale!!", Featured Gardens = Native Plant Garden, & the Garry Oak Meadow, Arts & Music reminder, Community Ed, HCP Kids Youth program highlights, plus Library Used Books Sale, the Bookend and a request for pots.
Horticulture Centre of the Pacific - April 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 plants came through the winter in the polyhouses and we have a great selection of unique plants to choose from, so come early for the best selection.
Admission to the gardens is free during plant sales, so take time to peruse the Gardens. Victoria Master Gardeners, HCP staff, volunteers, and our Horticulture students will be available to help answer all your questions.
All proceeds raised from the plant sale support the maintenance and development of our not-for-profit teaching gardens.
10% discount on plants and gift shop items for HCP members.
" Our 31st annual Arts & Music in the Gardens at HCP, this August 9th and 10th! Admission is $10, children under 12 are free. 100% of admissions proceeds go towards keeping the Gardens growing.
Come enjoy over 40 local art and craft vendors, live music from talented local performers, snacks, and drinks - all set in our lovely gardens. We'll have plants and our signature sunflower bouquets available for purchase.
We hope to see you there! If you are interested in becoming a vendor or musician for the event please contact artsandmusic@hcp.ca for an application or more information. "
Native Plant Garden
The Native Plant Garden
Spring comes early to the Native Plant Garden. With our Mediterranean climate of wet winters and dry summers, most of our native flowers bloom in spring and are dormant by July. The blossoms of June plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), gummy gooseberry (Ribes lobbii) and satin flower (Olsynium douglasii) have been and gone. Now the second wave of bloom is underway, with fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum, E. revolutum), camas (Camassia quamash, C. leichtlinii), chocolate lilies (Fritillaria affinis), sea blush (Plectritis congesta), shooting star (Dodecatheon hendersonii), skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum) and red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) in flower. Trillium (Trillium ovatum) and coast penstemon (Penstemon serrulatus) will soon emerge.
You are welcome to visit the Garry Oak Meadow Flower Garden, located down the hill above the lake, framed by the large Douglas fir trees and the Great Lawn. This ethnobotanical garden is a loop of the larger W̱SÁNEĆ Ethnobotany Trail. You can follow the trail signs or just wander past the round Gathering Place to find it. All the plant species in this garden are native to this area and represent the Garry oak ecosystem. Most of them have medicinal, food or technological values.
Just as we pass the spring equinox and the spring season begins, the Garry Oak Meadow Flower Garden wakes up. The longer days and warming soil encourage the many bulbs, tubers and buds to send out their fresh green shoots.
The HCP ball caps are back! as are West Coast Seeds and Niwaki garden gloves.
Explore our fresh-as-Spring lineup of Adult Community Education classes and workshops. Just announced, and now open for registration, Permaculture, floristry, creating custom herbal tea blends, textile arts, Plant Id and more.
Take advantage of the new reduced tuition for Richard Wong's watercolour painting workshops. For the latest updates, join the Community Education E-news.
We are also launching a series of Free Talks and Demos in the garden beginning with Earth Day and the Spring Plant Sale. No registration is required, free with your admission to the Gardens!
• Earth Day - Tuesday 22 April 1:00 - 2:00 pm in the Rotunda Worm Composting Demo with Bethany Couture • Plant Sale - Saturday 26 April - 1:00 pm in the Pavilion "How to Garden with Deer" with Victoria Master Gardener Jennifer Kolot
90 minute birthday program includes a garden component and time for visiting with your guests. Up to 12 participants
Themes: Mythical Creature Gardens such as Fairy, Dragon, Pet, Unicorn and other special characters, as well as Tea and Pollinator gardens. We also offer Flower Pressing for older youth.
SCHOOLS- Our gardens offer many seasonal opportunities to connect with indigenous plants and food crops, experience demonstration gardens and explore wilderness spaces. We offer programs that are 1 hour and 1.5 hours as well as an optional 30 minute self guided activity in the gardens for an additional fee. Program fees include entrance into the gardens.
Contact our School & Youth Program Coordinator; youthprograms@hcp.ca for more information or use this link to request a booking.
The Victoria Rhododendron Society is having a show of Rhododendron trusses in the Pavilion on Saturday April 19th. View hundreds of blooms from our members gardens.There will be experts on Rhodo culture and care to answer your questions.
The Victoria Rhododendron Society created the HCP Rhododendron and Hosta garden in the formative years (1985) of HCP and continues to maintain and develop the garden. Be sure to visit it while at the show and sale.
A sale of Rhododendron plants will be set up on the brick forecourt around the pavilion.Not just your standard nursery or big box store plants, but a selection of choice hybrids and species.All plants have been grown from seed or propagated from cuttings by members of the society.
Proceeds from the sale help the society keep the 'Garden in Bloom'.
Garden entrance is discounted to $9 with a same-day C&Q receipt {children under 16 receive complimentary entry}.
Hours: Everyday 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.
Gently used books 50% offall month long! Many recent additions.
Invasive Flora of the West Coast: Collin Varner
Scotch broom. Spurge laurel. English ivy. These names conjure dread in the hearts of many gardeners, mine included. But did you know that foxglove and comfrey are also considered invasive here? Not only that, but they are also toxic and yet sold locally. According to the Invasive Species Council of BC, invasives are the second greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. Invasive Flora of the West Coast can help with the important step of identifying them.
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