Category Archives: garden visits

exploring other gardens

Street Library

02/09/2013 svseekins 8 Comments

Got a book you no longer need?
Leave it here for others to read.
Consider it a neighbourly deed.

That’s the saying written around the door frame of the free book exchange on Clare Street near Oak Bay Avenue.

Clare Street pet water bowl — photo by SVSeekins

And if you’re out walking Spot, there’s a water bowl set out especially for him! So, it’s okay to take time choosing a good book. Mighty neighbourly, don’t you think?

Clare Street - creative front yard A — photo by SVSeekins

But wait! There’s more!

A couple of residents are creative with their front yards, abandoning demanding lawns. That’s my soft spot. I ogle one lovely garden for a bit, before the one across the street calls my name & I’m off.

Clare Street - creative front yard B — photo by SVSeekins

I zigzag back and forth across the street several times inside the same block. It’s good exercise. Luckily I wasn’t run over. Perhaps I have a guardian angel. Or perhaps it’s really because of these thoughtful traffic calming features along this special street:

Clare Street pet crossing 1, public art, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Pacific Northwest

photo by SVSeekins

Clare Street pet crossing 3, public art, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Pacific Northwest

photo by SVSeekins

Clare Street pet crossing 4, public art, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Pacific Northwest

photo by SVSeekins

Clare Street pet crossing 5, public art, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Pacific Northwest

photo by SVSeekins

I have to smile. These wooden cut outs have a bottom piece that slips into the top of the sign post. Voilà! Instant Pet Crossing signs. These could be made for any street. How about that!

Even though my street is only a block long, and a dead-end, it’s surprising how fast some vehicles travel on it. Perhaps some of these s signs would do well around here. How would they go over on your street? Would there be smiles?

I’ve often noticed that the bigger the city, the less folks in public make eye contact. Understandably, it’s a way to have privacy even when surrounded by crowds but I’m glad to see that in this city, there’s enough space for some small town friendliness.

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© copyright 2013 SVSeekins

P.S. check these other street libraries out:

P.SS. I hear there’s a similar street on the mainland::

boulevard garden, bulbs, drought tolerant, garden visits, months 01-03: winter

Dangerous Intersection

02/02/2013 svseekins 6 Comments

Drivers are warned to be aware of a mob of Galanthus near the intersection of Fort Street and Leighton Road.

Snowdrops - January 31, 2013 B — photo by SVSeekins

Please contain your excitement. It is dangerous to drive while craning your neck, trying to get a better look.

Pull into the next available parking spot.
Walk back to get a good eye full.
Do your happy dance.
Then continue on your way to spread the news.

Although this may be an unusually early & large riot, expect to see more popping up around the city in the coming weeks. Continue to use caution while driving past these harbingers of spring.

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© copyright 2013 SVSeekins

P.S. Here are some other snowdrop patches I admire:

at Abkhazi Gardens, Oak Bay in November
at Maltwood Manor, Royal Oak in January
at Haultain & Forbes, Fernwood, in February
along West Saanich Road in February

garden visits

James Bay Rain Garden

01/29/2013 svseekins 7 Comments

Once upon a time (way back in the 90’s) I went to the park on the corner of Superior and St. Lawrence streets to enjoy a game of softball. The sun was shining, the game was fun, but the temperature was several degrees below the rest of town. Despite the gorgeous site at Fisherman’s Wharf, it was one of my least favourite parks to hang out in.

new life for the park at Fisherman's Wharf — photo by SVSeekins

Recently this park has climbed up several notches in my esteem. The city of Victoria has completed a massive makeover.

rolling hills & wandering trails circle the rain garden — photo by SVSeekins

Now it’s a leap to imagine the flat sports field. Brand spanking new hills block views of the urban streets & buildings. The varied landscape creates a feeling of privacy. It makes the green space seem larger than it really is.

Wandering pathways lead to several garden rooms. I especially like with the emphasis on native plants & trees. A walk along one of the trails feels so much more peaceful than one on the sidewalk just a few yards away.

excess water will flood into the storm drain (far left) — photo by SVSeekins

Part of the new design is a rain garden. By coincidence the same folks that created the Atrium rain garden that I like so much, also came up with this design.

The James Bay project has a much larger retention pond than the little boulevards at Yates and Blanchard streets.

It’s engineered so that the local streets & parking areas provide the runoff water for the large rain garden. Notice how deep the pond can get before excess water flows into the raised storm drain. I’m so curious to come back to see the ponds in the peak of rainy season.

in homage to the shoreline & sandy beach of years ago — photo by SVSeekins

A stone wall winds around the park, showing where the natural shoreline used to be. In one place, The Victoria Parks Department has even gone to the length of adding sand, grasses and logs reminiscent of the past beach. Isn’t it charming?

the playground near Fisherman's Wharf — photo by SVSeekins

Being near all the boats at Fisherman’s Wharf, it seems suitable that the playground matches with a shipwreck at its entry gate

An open grassy areaa looks out at Fishernan's Wharf — photo by SVSeekins

And for folks that really do want to throw around a baseball, there still is a wide open grassy area. My imagination has an active game of Frisbee tag keeping me warm against the cool sea breeze.