On June 10, 2021, we visited Anne and Bill’s garden south of Courtenay. The tour started in a very sweet courtyard with some lovely plantings, including a peach tree, black lace elderberry, cryptomeria, a large weeping blue atlas cedar….and a door. We entered and were treated to what felt like a secret garden—it was quite an unexpected sight. A very large, lush garden terraced up the hillside with Cumberland stone appeared and sunken before us was an incredibly cozy three-season outdoor living room, complete with a fire table, curtains, comfortable seating, and just the right amount of garden whimsey.
Anne and Bill started working on their garden in 2006 and have done all the work themselves—from design, to laying stone, to building the arbours and tea houses (Anne bought Bill a bobcat for his birthday one year). The lot is double-sized (80’ x 120’) and was completed section-by-section, making the thought process much more manageable (the seating area was completed first and discussion over design was often ruminated over a glass of wine—how nice!). Many thanks to Anne and Bill for touring us through their beautiful oasis. Also thank you to Jane, Master Gardener, for conducting this tour!
