Co-ordinator: Terry Hanak
A magnificent London plane tree dominates this garden and provides shade for early spring bulbs and a variety of hellebores, primulas, skimmia, brunnera, epimediums. and other shade-loving plants. Herbaceous perennials including geraniums, artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, iris pallida, romneyas, and peonies are planted in sunnier areas. The rocky slopes are also home to assorted euphorbia species and a mass planting of potenilla ‘Abbotswood Silver.’
Shrubs include the rare acnistus australis, an unusual southern hemisphere plant adorned with bluebells every summer. Drought-tolerant plants are used extensively here as lower rainfall influences plant choices. The foliage of variegated eleagnus and golden choisya brightens the shade and are deer resistant. Purple allium giganteum bloom in early summer, followed by the dark blue flowers of salvias and sweeps of calla lilies and schizostylis.
Sitting Down on the Job
Margaret, along with three other volunteers, spent their day digging up the plants in the Flower Arrangers Garden. Once these were spread on a tarp, the mix of plants was sorted. The astilbe were saved and replanted amongst the large roots of the Empress Chinese Tree (Paulomeria), the alliums were not needed, and the colchicum was reduced and moved to another location. Any weeds or wild onions were tossed as well.
“While the messy bed may have gone unnoticed for several years, once our volunteers tackled this chore, the results were a remarkable transformation,” said co-ordinator Liz Thompson. “I am forever grateful for their willingness to take on tough challenges that make a difference and will create easier harvesting for our flower arrangements in the future.”
Margaret, our newest volunteer, happily sorting the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Visitors Delighted With Custom Flowers
These four visitors were thrilled to end their tour of the gardens with bespoke bouquets made by the floral designers. While residents of Victoria, this was their first – but definitely not last – visit to Government House grounds. There may even have been some discussion about becoming volunteers themselves!
Thanksgiving Bouquets
On the Tuesday before the sale, nine floral designers harvested more than 30 buckets of flowers and foliage which 11 floral designers used to create bouquets in the cottage on Wednesday.
These were then sold at the Bruce Pavilion.
Thank you to the House for its generous loan of the “official” golf cart for both transporting the floral material and the finished bouquets.
