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.

This 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 the beautiful flowers of this akebia

This 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.

A 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.

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

Wood chips give a softer, more informal feel to the path in a shaded part of the garden.

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.

It’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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build Landscapes That Repair the Environment

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

2024 Nautilus Award Gold Medal Winner! This awe-inspiring guide weaves together permaculture design, food resiliency, climate adaptation, community organizing, and indigenous wisdom that you can implement in your own backyard.

Buy at Amazon

Plant Covers Freeze Protection 10 ft x 30 ft Floating Row Cover 0.9oz/yd²

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Lightweight and Breathable MATERIAL Good for protecting Plant: the plant frost cover material is 0.74 oz/sq non-woven polypropylene fabric, which is lightweight, breathable, and durable. The plant blanket frost protection allows sunlight reach the plants, perfect for protecting plants from the damage of freeze or frost. Wide Application In your Garden Work. The plant row cover not only can work as a barrier against frost, but also can be a great tool for germination and good for rapid seedling growth. By using the fabric plant covers over your plant, you can start the plant earlier in the spring and extending the growing season of your plants. How to Use the Plant Covers: you can cover the plant covers for freeze over your the plants loosely directly and then secure the plant frost blanket with soil, stones or staples. You can also support the floating row covers with a hoop, make enough room for plants to breath and grow. You could also cut the plant covers into different sizes for different purposes.

Buy at Amazon

Corona E-Grip Trowel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Handle Material: Aluminum. Handle Length: 14-1/2 in. Overall Length: 14.5 in. Head Material: Aluminum. Handle Color: Red.

Buy at Amazon