A couple of weeks ago, on a sunny Saturday morning I had the pleasure of going to three plant sales, I wrote about them in the previous post and said that I would write about the third one, at Milner Gardens, later. There was so much to tell you about and so many great photos to share that it deserved separate attention. Going through all of the photos and preparing them for the post I am reminded of why I felt so inspired and so happy & excited as I was there. Milner Gardens and Woodland is such an incredible treasure here in Qualicum Beach – we are so blessed to have this botanical garden in our midst! To learn about the gardens history and current status, do click on the link above ~ it is quite an interesting story!
The entry point off of Highway 19A to the parking lot, is easily seen….
Once parked, to reach the gardens (and the plant sale) you can either walk down through the forest trails which is a lovely, relaxing 5 – 8 minute stroll or you can hop on the little shuttle cart, so graciously driven by volunteers of the garden. I chose to walk down and was pleased that I had, a walk down the driveway that winds through the forest is so uplifting, yet very calming at the same time. Just what I needed after a busy week! There is such a diversity of experiences and sights that await, so it is a good idea to give yourself at least a couple of hours to take in the splendour.
Spring is when I find the gardens to be the most wondrous but all seasons provide their own beauty and are worth a walk about. The plant sales are held twice a year ~ spring and fall ~ and offer an abundance of plants that are mostly very hardy for our climate. The sale is held in what used to be the estate’s tennis court ~ a perfect enclousure.
After perusing the sale and finding a couple of fabulous woodland lilies that I loved, I headed down towards the house ~ in that short walk this varied collection of sights presented themselves, along with many more that were not photographed…
Corylopsis spicata
The house is so gorgeous, I just love the whole look and the old fashioned turquoise on the front door & trim is right back in style ~ as is the airy squared trellis work.
It was hard to not go into the tearoom and have the tasty lunch they were serving for the plant sale event or to even stop for tea & scones but I was looking forward to a quick lunch at home and then to start working in our own garden, so on I went ~ past moss covered stones that magically surround lush water features, past vistas of the blue waters of the Georgia Straight and through trails that have rhododendrons as big as trees, towering Douglas Firs and many rare specimen trees.
The understory is a delight, such a contrast to the enormity in scale of everything else….
Native Trilliums
Hellebores
Anemone
Can you believe that all of these are only but a few of the flowers, shrubs and trees that were blooming?
Up at the Gift Shop, just outside the door, they have a collection of plants that showcase what is in bloom each day in the garden.
It was time to head back up to the car, my quick tour of the garden was done and even though my intention was to ride back up on the shuttle with my plants, it just felt like more time in the forest was what I really wanted. So, by choosing a different route back up, I was rewarded with so many more amazing photo opportunities ~ that I can now share with you! Hope you can feel the calm serenity…
The next shot is of a partially hollowed out stump, the likes of which I had never come across ~ it provides a great little science experience….
seeing the core of the tree with branches attached that reach out through to the outer bark ~ isn’t that neat!?
Back at the Welcome Centre….
I was so content and very happy but quite tired ~ and extremely hungry!
Three plant sales, a trunk full of plants, a couple of bags of sea soil, a garden tour and forest walk ~ what more could a gardener possibly want in one day? Just garden gloves on and a shovel in her hand!
Hope you enjoyed this collection of photos that show a small sampling of what Milner Gardens & Woodland has to offer!
The real show stoppers right now though are the rhododendrons and azaleas – always so amazing and so colourful….
Quieting some of this exuberance down are the ferns and lush new growth of other perennials…
Once your eye has taken in the larger scaled trees and shrubs you start noticing the smaller perennials that are so full of themselves right now too… the peonies buds are plumping right up and the primroses, epimediums, gentians, violets and small irises are all blooming away….
These small irises have the most incredible vanilla scent, whether sitting near them on the patio or kneeling beside them as you work, you find yourself intoxicated with their fragrance.
