Tuesday June 5th
 
Hello all,
Attached is a map of the Lower Caulfeild area with the open gardens marked. If you are held up, call me on my cell: 604-313-4790 and I will tell you where everyone is.
Please wear good walking shoes, as there is uneven ground and stairs. Plus members’ gardens may have uneven stone or other material pathways etc. The WVGC cannot and will not be liable. So your participation is also your informed decision.

Meeting Time:     6:30 p.m.
Meeting Place:     Caulfeild Green
Parking areas marked by XXXXXXXX on the map
 
Please note that there are many narrow, one-way streets. It will be easier for you to arrive going southbound (towards the water) on The Dale which is two ways.

Tour:          Led by Cathy Legate

Cathy will leave sharply at 7 pm and head East along Pilot House Road (against the traffic) giving a history of the area to
#1 Garden of Gail Lehman and John Biasucci lovingly taken over from Glen Patterson and maintained it with a living vision consistent with its original design. Glen’s Japanese gardeners continue to do the pruning and work for Gail and John. It is an anchor garden, often admired by visitors.
 
North along Pilot House Road to
#2 Garden of Chris and Nancy Ashton. Once the spring/summer seasons come Nancy can be found on Gambier not here. So I can only imagine what she has created on Gambier. I love this wonderland of a garden from the gifts that hang over the fence that entice a peek in to the most beautiful green house ever built by Chris. Every nook, every cranny is a vista of beauty and peace. Both Chris and Nancy are artists - in different media - but you feel it once the gate is opened.
Then up the pathway stairs …. this is narrow and there are not always railings for the stairs, to
 

  * If this path is too daunting, Kathleen will ferry you from Garden #2 to Garden #3
     so that you don’t miss anything.

#3 Garden of owners who plan to demolish house but in the meantime are renting it to Cathy and John Legate while their house is rebuilt from last years fire. This house and garden used to be the delight of Barbara and Robert Longe, Garden Club and Hardy Plant members. They have moved to Vancouver Island. Cathy has done yeoman’s work to keep up with the acre of garden plus deal with her own rebuilding of her home. It is a beautiful mature garden.
 
Two doors to the north is
#4 Garden of Linda Annable. I have always loved Linda’s stairs winding over the rock to her home and glorious view. Gardening has become a wonderful dedicated project and passion for Linda, and it shows. She has created a beautiful haven of interest, creativity and tranquility.
 
Further north along The Highway and then East to
#5 Garden of Terry and Angela Joyce who have literally just returned from a holiday to Peru and the Amazon. Their home is the original home of William Caulfeild and their garden is a beautiful English Garden that both Terry and Angela work in. Terry has the grand vision that he and Angela execute as a team. There is so much here from the blueberry bushes that provide breakfast feasts, to roses that were planted for their daughter’s garden wedding, to rhodos and hydrangeas moved to better locations (from when they moved in 10 years ago), to special plantings i.e. Stewartia pseudocamellia, the magical koi pond …. forest of bird feeders ….
 
Back down South Piccadilly West to
#6 Garden of Cathy and John Legate. Cathy is my direct neighbour to the south so I know how much time, energy and enthusiasm she has for her garden. An unusual plant? (Angel’s Fishing Rod aka Dierama pulcherrimum) Cathy will search it out. A fun idea? (willow fence from different willow sticks to root) Cathy will try it out. Always game. Always keen. And a joy. This is a garden of Love.
 
Sustenance:      Strawberry shortcake with whipped cream
                        Prosecco
                        Hot herbal tea

And if you still have the energy, head up the hill and through the new arch to
#7 Garden of Kathleen and Rodney Glynn-Morris the location of a plot of land that gives us both great joy - when we are here and have the time, as you know from my musings to you. Rodney’s job is to attack the blackberries, rogue salmonberries (which have escaped him), bamboo and bindweed. Our little piece of heaven has become a journey and not a destination. Otherwise we would be defeated and crushed! The southern half is full sun and I don’t water the lawn as enough water goes to shrubs and plants. As you can see, it is parched. The northern half is quite shady.  It is a reflection of me: a work in progress!!

Actually, every garden is a work in progress.

A huge thank you to Gail and John, Nancy and Chris, Linda, Terry and Angela and Cathy and John for opening their gardens.

I am not sure why we feel that it must be perfect for visitors to come through. We are silly. I still have dried bluebells from the spring that I thought I would get to two weeks ago, last week, this weekend, today … life intervenes. But each day is glorious if only we can live and enjoy and savour the moment. And grab life by the tail.
 
See you tomorrow.
Kathleen