GPOD on the Road: Library Gardens at HCP


Friend of the GPOD Cherry Ong is taking us along for another visit to the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP) in Victoria, British Columbia. This time we’re taking a look at the gardens around the HCP Library. Cherry visited in the spring, as the gardens were just waking up and coming into growth.

woody vine with bright green leaves and small purple and white flowersThis usual form of Akebia quinata ‘Cream Form’ (Zones 4–8) has dark chocolately purple flowers, but the cream form is a beautiful variation on that theme. In summer, the flowers are followed by large, unusual-looking lavender fruits that split open to reveal the edible flesh around the seeds.

close up of akebia flowersClose-up of the beautiful flowers of this akebia

garden bed with plants just starting to bud in springThis spring garden is just coming to life. The shrubs in the foreground look like yellow-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea, Zones 2–8), and the bright gold stems look fantastic against the dark wood siding on the building behind them.

stone path winding through the spring gardenA flagstone path leads through the garden. The curve of the path behind the fence draws you forward to explore what lies beyond, and it is clear that beautiful gardens await you as you do.

cat laying int the sunThe resident garden cat enjoys the warm spring sun and hopes for some pets from garden visitors.

path made out of wood chips through garden bedsWood chips give a softer, more informal feel to the path in a shaded part of the garden.

rebar sculptures in the middle of a garden bed These twisted rebar sculptures give fantastic structure to the garden even before most of the plants are in full growth. The light color of the plantings behind them ensure that they stand out beautifully.

wider view of the garden full of spring plantsIt’s wonderful to look back at the fresh, spring growth this time of year!

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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Originally posted 2022-09-09 16:23:10.