Horticulture Centre of the Pacific
Location
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Saanich
About
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The Gardens at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP) offer a year-round garden experience set within 41 hectares of protected conservation land
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The area was formerly known as Glendale Gardens and Woodland
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HCP was founded in 1979 by a group of volunteers who wanted to set up an international centre of horticulture education
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HCP has over 16 staff, 170 volunteers, 230 horticulture students, and welcomes 15,000 visitors annually
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Pacific Horticulture College at HCP was founded in 1987 and offers a certified horticulture education program that prepares students for professional careers in landscaping and horticulture-related fields, while promoting sustainable and environmentally responsible care of gardens and green spaces
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The public garden, including over 10,000 varieties of plants, is nurtured by a dedicated community of volunteers, staff, and students
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HCP contains diverse areas including the Children’s Garden, Ethnobotany Trail, Doris Page Winter Garden, and the Takata Japanese Garden
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HCP has the largest outdoor bonsai garden in Canada and some of the miniature trees are over 100 years old
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The W̱SÁNEĆ Ethnobotany Trail contains plant life from the Pacific Northwest
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Discover the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples traditional uses for food, medicine, shelter, and spiritual practices, with each plant marked by signage displaying its W̱SÁNEĆ name, English name and sometimes a brief description
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The Doris Page Winter Garden, established in 1985, was named in honour of Doris Page, a respected local horticulturist
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Doris was born in 1914 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England
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She earned a degree in horticulture from Studley College in Warwickshire in 1935 and went on to work as a horticulturist in both the UK and Tanzania
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Doris immigrated to Canada in 1948 and chose to settle in Victoria—one of the few places in the country where gardening could be enjoyed year-round
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Her deep involvement in Victoria’s horticultural community began when she joined the Victoria Horticultural Society at a time when it was uncommon for women to participate
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She went on to serve in nearly every executive role, including two terms as president (1973–74 and 1978–80)
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Doris was a driving force behind the creation and growth of several horticultural organizations, including the Heritage Tree Society, the Geranium and Fuchsia Societies and the Hardy Plant Group
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She was also involved in the Thetis Lake Nature Sanctuary and the Victoria Rock and Alpine Garden Society
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Doris hosted Island Country Gardener on CHEK TV for 18 years
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Doris played a key role in preserving parkland in Cordova Bay, which was later named in her honour
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She also bequeathed her home and the surrounding property to serve as an extension of Saanich’s Doris Page Park
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Community education programs are offered year-round at HCP and their library contains over 3,000 landscaping and garden-related books and magazines
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The Couvelier Pavilion provides a stunning venue for weddings and events, including the incredible Arts & Music Festival held every August
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Enjoy a coffee, a quick snack, or a unique farm-to-table dining experience at Charlotte & the Quail, a charming onsite café overlooking the gardens, offering a locally sourced, seasonally rotating menu
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Throughout the year, the HCP hosts plant sales including rare or hard-to-find species sourced from on-site gardens where plants naturally outgrow their space and require thinning
Lands
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Ancestral territories of the lək’ʷəŋən peoples, represented by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, represented by the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum) and MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat) Nation
Amenities
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Walking trails
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Restaurant
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Parking
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Benches
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Gift shop
Online
Videos