Friday Finds: Garden Crawl in Southlands
Friday Finds: Garden Crawl in Southlands
Last Week was Heritage Vancouver’s 4th Annual Garden Tour. My husband Graham and I spent 2 days touring the unique and beautiful gardens that were part of this wonderful design tour.
What a privilege to see the range of gardens that Vancouverites’ have designed and developed in their yards. Some are large and some are very small but each one tells a story about the homeowner. For today’s Friday Finds, we are going to explore a large garden in Southlands, a rural area in the centre of Vancouver considered ‘horse’ country, but now at risk as stables are being demolished.
This garden in Southlands, designed by Landscape Architect Ron Rule, is only 4 years old. The owners have been filling in and planting a lush array of perennials every year.
The visitor is greeted by a calming sweep of extensive lawn, surrounded by beds of well-chosen shrubs, trees and flowering plants.
Our favourite feature is a gorgeous pond anchored by a stately Weeping Cedar, a Weeping Pear, Gunera, Irises, Calla Lilies, and Primulus spotted at the water’s edge.
The owner’s brother, who did some of the rock and water features at the Vancouver International Airport and Aquarium, created the pond.
A white garden blooms in late summer on the east entry. To the west a lavender and rose garden is backed by raised vegetable beds.
A pool, hot tub and covered patio provide spaces for outdoor relaxation and socializing.
For our next garden tour blog, we will explore some smaller urban gardens where the owners have inhabited their front yards.
Let us know what you think makes a great garden.
