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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Spring Break 2019

"When I'm in Canada I feel, this is what the world should be like"
                                                                  Author Unkown




Erythronium grandiflorum

The Avalanche lilies have started in, Marking the first of the Eyrthronium collection to bloom for me on the last week of March. 

I was in Canada this weekend and I completely agree with that statement above. The kiddo and I took a quick spring break weekend road trip to Vancouver BC. I hadn't been in maybe 10 years and I am so glad I took the time to go again this past weekend. I had almost forgot how much I love British Columbia. Kiddo fell in love too and I have no idea how it could  possibly get paid for but she now is determined to go to UBC for her college years.

We mostly touristed which was fantastic but I did manage to get in a quick visit to Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Years ago I was in Canada for a Western Winter Study weekend for Nargs and I remembered Van Dusen having this great alpine collection with troughs and a legit alpine house. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. I've been meaning to send off an email and ask what happened to the alpine collection there.


That is a beautiful, but completely empty alpine house, and I mean completely empty, it even seemed to have some detritus like hoses and such just laying about. Very unbecoming for such a great botanical garden. 

Miles of boxwoods are my new jam since I went back to being a full time garden manager for a historical garden conservancy. These demarcating the rose garden were very tidy. 

The heaths and Heathers were looking fantastic and smelling every bit as wonderful. 

The Crown Imperials were well on the way. Must be the climate.

Anya had a fantastic time in Canada even if it was only for a short spell we managed to fit a lot in. I've only got like 2 more spring breaks before she is off to University so I'm bound and determined to make every last minute of that time count.

The weather is something else right now, I think it just rained an inch and a half in about a 20 minute period. It was 35 degrees on Tuesday morning, but the afternoons have been somewhat warm.

Cheers,

Mark
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2 comments:

  1. Panayoti KelaidisApril 11, 2019 at 8:48 AM

    Sorry that Van Dusen has pooped out on alpines! but those heathers look spiffy. Don't feel so bad I missed them last month when I went to UBC instead--which is looking fantastic.

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  2. AnonymousApril 12, 2019 at 8:49 AM

    Hi Panayoti! I wrote the curator at Van Dusen and the story was that the Alpine house has asbestos in it and unsafe failing glass panes, they plan to tear it down with no funding for replacement. Also the lack of plants in the alpine garden they said was due to the retirement of a long time volunteer curator. Sad to see such things go, I think Alpine gardens (for us in the lowlands) are one of the more unusual gardens one can see done well at a botanical garden. We did go to UBC but it was to tour the campus because the kiddo wants to go to university there.

    Best,

    Mark

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