Victoria, BC: green, cool, dazzling

We're in Victoria, British Columbia this week to visit our older daughter. The timing couldn't have been better. While California is sweltering in a heat wave, with temperatures in Davis above triple digits (close to 40°C), Victoria is in the low to mid-60s (15-18°C). Not only that, we've experienced more rain here in the last three days than we have at home all year! No wonder there's so much green. It's a sight for sore—or should I say dry—eyes.

Here are some photos from around Victoria and Salt Spring Island where we spent a couple of days. There's a lot more to come in future posts.

Inner Harbour, Victoria

Parliament Building and Inner Harbour, Victoria

Hornbeam trees (Carpinus betulus) on Government Street, Victoria

My two favorite gardens in Victoria are Finnerty Gardens on the campus of the University of Victoria and Abkhazi Garden. We visited both early in our trip. I'll have separate posts in the weeks to come.

Finnerty Gardens

Finnerty Gardens

Rhododendron 'Nancy Evans', Finnerty Gardens

Caterpillar on rhododendron, University of Victoria

Abkhazi Garden

Abkhazi Garden

Abkhazi Garden

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) at Abkhazi Garden. As cute as they seem, these non-natives (they were recklessly introduced in the 1970s) have become a major problem, apparently eating pollinating bees and garter snake babies. 

Garry oaks (Quercus garryana), the signature tree of Victoria

Did I mention how much green stuff there is?!?

Virtually no larger succulents in gardens, but lots of sedums, including this native Sedum spathulifolium

For orientation, here's a map showing Vancouver Island. Victoria, the capital of the province of British Columbia and by far the largest city on Vancouver Island, is located on the southern tip. The city of Vancouver, coincidentally, is located on the mainland, not on Vancouver Island—a fact that never fails to confuse visitors.

As I mentioned earlier, we spent a couple of days on Salt Spring Island, the largest of the Gulf Islands located in the Strait of Georgia just off Vancouver Island. Salt Spring Island is easy to reach via ferry from Swartz Bay, just north of the Victoria airport. The ferry ride takes about 35 minutes.

Salt Spring Island has over 80 miles of shoreline, with spectacular views:

Fernwood Point Beach, Salt Spring Island

Fernwood Point Beach, Salt Spring Island

Fernwood Pier, Salt Spring Island

Fernwood Pier, Salt Spring Island

Harbor in Ganges, the largest town on Salt Spring Island

View from the deck of the small cottage we rented on Salt Spring Island. We really lucked out this time!

Ganges, the largest town on Salt Spring Island, has a lively Saturday market during the summer months. Several vendors had produce that looked so perfect, I simply had to take pictures:

Flowers, too:

We also visited a fantastic nursery on Salt Spring Island, Fraser's Thimble Farm. It was recommended by my friend Dan who grew up in Victoria and used to spend his paper route earnings to buy plants there. Fraser's Thimble Farm far exceeded my expectation. In addition to a large selection of more common plants, they also have a huge catalog of rare and unusual plants. 

I have no plans of moving to Vancouver Island, but if I did, I could easily create an interesting garden with plants just from Fraser's Thimble Farm. Here are just a few I'd never seen in person before; I'll have a proper post soon.

Paris polyphylla

Cypripedium acaule

Himalayan blue poppy (in this case Meconopsis × shelldonii) is one my bucket-list flowers. I finally saw one at Fraser's Thimble Farm. It had been battered by the wind and rain the previous day, but to me it was still transcendental.

POSTS ABOUT PLACES I VISITED ON THIS TRIP:

• Butchart Gardens in June

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