Garden Tour – 11 Years Later

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July 4, 2011 was the day I arrived in Canada after four years of living in the Philippines, to start a completely new adventure on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The move was a long time coming and I have always loved it here. I felt at home here on the island long before I even made the move, in those years of frequent visits when I always had to leave in the end to go “home”. This final move was a true homecoming.

Eleven years ago, when we moved into this house, the back garden was a blank slate, just a bare rectangle surrounded by a wooden fence. The first thing built was the GreenHouse – a dream of mine since forever, then all the stone work on the patios replacing big concrete slabs, then digging up the sod to build flower beds, installing new fences and planting area along one side of the house, shaded by wooden lattice. The buildings were repainted. Later came the really big project, the huge pergola patio that stretches along the side of the house. And along the way, planting, planting and replanting – trees, shrubs, perennials, vines. The garden is filled with bees, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects, hummingbirds and other birds that pop in to check things out. It’s been an ongoing project of love – a refuge, retreat and a place of ever-changing eye candy.

So this is what our 11-year old garden looks like now – in summer, along with some “before” shots:

The first garden project 2011 – the GreenHouse along with the very beginnings of my fuchsia collection
2022
2022
2011 Beginning the hardscaping of the blank canvas in the backyard. The Bunkie Studio where I hang out is on the left.
2022
2011 The side of the house I call the Summer Greenhouse. Benching and staging for the fuchsias during the summer shaded by lattice.
The Fuchsia Ranch 2013 in the “Summer Greenhouse” I only have a few fuchsias left in the collection. Last year’s two heatwaves wiped out or damaged most of those remaining.
Outside The Bunkie 2012
2022
Planted trees, Coral Bark Maple and Cryptomeria 2012
Trees – 10 Years Later and still growing fast
View from the GreenHouse 2012 – planting begun
2022 view from the GreenHouse
Front of the house – 2012
Front Garden Summer 2022
Completed pergola 2014
2022 – 4 different honeysuckle vines, Japanese maples and, of course, fuchsias

Hanging out in the jungle garden is so relaxing, even the neighbour’s cat, Little Black Cat, aka Cricket, is enjoying making herself quite at home. Or, depending on point of view, taking over. “Give me back my seat!”

Dennis – 11 years old. Loving Summer in the Garden 2022

But peace in the garden for Dennis was not to last. Then came the cousins. Oh, no!…

Steve had a job in Nanaimo this month and stayed with us during the weekdays for three weeks, bringing his little animal family and leaving the grand-dog, Rosie, and grand-cat, Sox, in our care during the day while he worked. A vacation for them outside in the jungle garden and it was fun hanging out with them all day. And all was well – Dennis turned out to be quite gracious about the visitors.

Rosie
Sox

It took a long time coming this year but summer finally arrived, well into July. It had been unusually cool and rainy for months and months. Complaints were muted though as we all remember the horror show of last summer with its record heat, drought and fires. Now is the time to move outside and enjoy the warmth and beauty of this very special place.