Spring is here, and there, and maybe here again. The pastels of a plethora of spring bulbs brighten the cooler and intermittently bleak days that are lingering.
With a burst of garden colour come thoughts of the annual Rotary Garden Tour on Sunday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It is a time when one can get a peek into our neighbours’ private yards and artful sanctuaries. On the tour, you will get ideas for your own planted art forms and delight in others’ creative industriousness. A garden on display is really a public form of art and an expression of creativity in nature. Blending the plants, the blooms and the colours all encompass an art form of the highest order. It might spark your own desire to expand or renovate your outdoor space.
Vancouver Island gardens are a splendid celebration of style of relaxed artfullness, often a jumble of flowers and vegetables that are designed for both esthetics and culinary utility. These gardens not only feed our soul, but our belly as well.
After a long winter on the coast, getting out in the dirt and designing your “tulip temple” is invigorating. The experience of gardening, like any art, is healing — it reduces stress, is calming, contemplative and restorative.
The Rotary Garden Tour is an exhibition of eight local gardens featuring the art and imagination of Island gardeners. Gardening tips are part of the package as well.
The Show and Sale component of the event begins at 8:45 a.m. at Aggie Hall on First Avenue in Ladysmith, and it will include a $3 continental breakfast. At 9:15 a.m., a local gardening writer and enthusiast will speak on “Avoiding the Gardener’s Pitfalls.” The garden tour starts at 10 a.m. after all visitors have received their maps and brochures at Aggie Hall.
To experience this flowery opportunity, purchase your tickets early. The cost is an affordable $15, and tickets are available in advance at 49th Parallel Grocery in Ladysmith and at Aggie Hall on the day of the event.
The Garden Tour, Show and Sale is organized by the Rotary Club of Ladysmith to provide support for local and world community needs.