Gardens of Vancouver & Victoria
A Pacific Horticulture Society tour
June 6-13, 2016
Escorted by: Linda McKendry
Tour Manager: Cheryl Nichols


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Join us in Vancouver, the world’s most livable city, and Victoria, named 2015 International Garden
Destination of the World
. We will visit top public gardens and a collection of private gardens including
Thomas Hobb’s personal estate and his Southlands Nursery, called a “must see” by Martha Stewart.
We’ll be based at the legendary Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver and the boutique Hotel Oswego in
Victoria. Garden visits include Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, VanDusen Botanical
Gardens, Bloedel Conservatory, Abkhazi, and Butchart -- one of the world’s premier floral display
gardens.

Monday, June 6: Arrival Vancouver’s International Airport.
Take a taxi, airport shuttle, or the Canada Line express
train to the hotel.  Meet your traveling companions for a
welcome reception at the Fairmont Hotel. Later we will
enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at the hotel. The 4 star
property is centrally located near shops and restaurants.
Rooms are air-conditioned with designer toiletries. The
hotel has a restaurant, pool, and spa.
Reception, Dinner

Tuesday, June 7: Today we will be treated to a private tour
of the
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden before
it opens to the public. This was the first Ming Dynasty
Scholar’s home and garden outside of China. Fifty-three
Chinese master craftsmen constructed the Garden using
traditional methods and materials brought from China — no
glue, nails, screws or power tools were used. The garden
design was based on the harmony of four main elements:
rock, water, plants, and architecture. Together, these four
elements combine to create a breathtaking experience of
perfect balance, yin and yang.

We will continue to
VanDusen Botanical Garden where we will be greeted by the Curator of
Gardens and enjoy a docent led tour. The elegant landscape has plant species representing
ecosystems ranging from the Himalayas to the Mediterranean, and from Louisiana swamps to the
Pacific Northwest. Lunch will be in the picturesque Garden Pavilion. This afternoon we join a local
guide for a short orientation tour of Vancouver including Gastown, Chinatown, and Granville Island
with a behind the scenes tour of
Stanley Park. The park is a national historic site of Canada and a
magnificent green oasis in the midst of the heavily built urban landscape. Transfers will be provided
back to the hotel. Those who would like a little exercise or refreshment may stay on and return to the
hotel at their leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch

Wednesday, June 8: After breakfast we will visit Thomas Hobb’s
richly planted 20 acre personal garden. Thomas is a florist,
nurseryman, television personality, and the author of The Jewel
Box Garden and Shocking Beauty. Next we’ll visit his
Southlands
Nursery
called a “must see” by Martha Stewart. The nursery has
been featured on The Victory Garden, Recreating Eden, and
Martha Stewart. Departing Southlands we will pass through a gate
into a private, moated English-style garden surrounding a 400
year old Norman Barn turned into a charming home. Following is
a visit to a garden, with the feel of an old English village. The
garden stones, pavings and antiques were imported from England
and enticing garden paths meander down to the sea.
Breakfast, Lunch

Thursday, June 9: Today we meet noted landscape
designer Chris McQuilkin. Chris will accompany us to
some of the
private gardens he has designed
including his piece de resistance, a project so large it
has required 3 years work and its own nursery! After
lunch we will tour nearby
Nitobe Memorial Garden,
a traditional Japanese Tea and Stroll garden located
at the University of British Columbia. Nitobe is
considered to be the one of the most authentic
Japanese gardens in North America and is among the
top five Japanese gardens outside of Japan. The garden includes a rare authentic Tea Garden with a
ceremonial Tea House.  
Breakfast, Lunch

Friday, June 10:   Today we transfer to the ferry for the short cruise to Victoria. Upon arrival we will
be met by our private coach and transferred to
Butchart Gardens. Over a century ago Jennie
Butchart began creating what is now one of the world’s premier show gardens. The Sunken garden
includes beds of annuals and flowering trees. The Rose garden has an extensive collection clearly
labeled for the home gardener. The serene Japanese garden dates from 1906 and leads into Italian
and Mediterranean gardens. We will enjoy a delicious lunch in the original Butchart family residence
with spectacular views of the gardens. Later we transfer to the Oswego Hotel. We’ll gather at 7:00pm
for a
presentation by Allan Mandel, a professional garden photographer. His topic is the breadth
and diversity of gardens in Victoria.
Breakfast, Lunch

Saturday, June 11:  After breakfast Allan will join us for the day. We begin with a gentle walk through
Garry Oak Meadow, a natural area of indigenous Live Oaks. Next we will visit two innovative
gardens.
Lily Maxwell’s half acre garden has been “a work in progress for the past twenty years”. It
continues to evolve and change with new plantings, reshaping
and expansion of planting areas. Lily says, “I love
working with foliage, texture, and color.  Every six
weeks or so, "the look" of the garden changes as
new plants emerge and others fade out.  As a
collector, there are unusual and rare specimens,
but most importantly, plants need to behave and
perform well for them to retain their place in the
garden.” Her garden was once chosen Garden of
the Year by Canadian Gardening Magazine.
Terry Le Blanc has a 1930’s English-style house
with beautiful, traditional garden on an old country
estate. The garden, rich in horticultural treasures, is under a canopy of old Oaks, one over 400 years
old. We will enjoy a picnic by the seaside before returning to town to see the
Government House
Gardens
where Allan will give us a tour. The lovely grounds include an English Country garden and
Sunken Rose garden which should be at the height of bloom. In addition, the property contains a
Native British Columbia Plant garden, Fountain Pond with bamboo and laburnum, Herb garden, Rock
and Alpine gardens.
Breakfast, Lunch

Sunday, June 12:  Today we will visit some small
private gardens in James Bay.  Located in the
oldest part of Victoria,
Judith Mc Lauglan’s small
collector’s garden, is whimsical and delightful.
Richard Mosselman’s townhouse garden is
continually evolving into a private urban retreat.
The garden is multi-leveled with areas set aside
for entertainment and relaxation. Several beds
have been redone with a focus on shade-tolerant
plantings and small-space trees to anchor them.
Creative 'pot-scaping' with dwarf cultivars and
bonsai maximizes the limited space. Richard says,
“As with most plant collectors, it is a constant struggle to control the chaos in this magical green
oasis”. We will take a short drive along Beach Road to
Abkhazi Gardens where we will have a tour
by a horticulturalist. Prince and Princess Abkhazi began creating Abkhazi Garden in 1946.  The
garden has dramatic glaciated rocky slopes, magnificent native Garry oaks and gorgeous vistas.  It
flows around the rock, taking advantage of deeper pockets of soil for conifers, Japanese maples and
rhododendrons which over the last 50 years have grown to an impressive maturity. There are carpets
of naturalized bulbs, choice alpines and woodland companions. We will enjoy a light lunch comprised
of local products in the Garden restaurant.  The late afternoon is free for sightseeing or shopping.
This evening, we will walk to the Empress Hotel for our festive farewell dinner in a lovely room
overlooking the harbor. Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner

Monday, June 13: Following breakfast at the hotel, time to say Good bye to Victoria.
Breakfast

TOUR LAND COST PER GUEST BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY:
Based on a minimum of 14 guests per trip: $2495.00 per person for members of Pacific Horticulture
Society, $2595.00 for non-members*.  Supplement for single occupancy of a room with private bath:  
$835.00.   

*Membership starts at just $28 so if you are not a member, we strongly encourage you to join before
you register for the tour as you can then receive the member price.  You can join online here:
http://membership.pacifichorticulture.org/joinrenew

COST INCLUDES:
•            4 night’s accommodations at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
•            3 night’s accommodations at The Oswego Hotel Victoria (see HOTELS below)
•            Hotel taxes and service charges
•            7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners, 1 reception
•            Motor coach transportation, and ferries as specified in itinerary
•            Local guides where mentioned in the itinerary
•            All sightseeing and entrances as per the itinerary  
•            Deluxe portfolio of documents
•            Escorted by Linda McKendry - Tour manager Cheryl Nichols
•            Donation of $200 to Pacific Horticulture Society

COSTS DO NOT INCLUDE:
•            Airfare
•            Travel insurance
•            Tips to your local guide

HOTELS ---Our first hotel is the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, known as the 'Castle in the City. The
recently refurbished hotel reflects timeless luxury and history. It is located in a prime downtown
location, steps from Vancouver’s shopping and entertainment. Amenities include a bar, restaurant,
state-of-the-art health club, indoor pool and spa. We suggest arriving a day early to experience the
grand tradition of Afternoon Tea at Fairmont and to have time to sample the museums and shopping.  
Our hotel in Victoria is the boutique Hotel Oswego, centrally located near the bustling harbor and
many shops and restaurants downtown.  Single rooms include a kitchenette. Double rooms have a
Queen bed plus sofa bed in the living room. Rooms with 2 beds and 2 baths available at extra cost.  

FLIGHTS ---Vancouver and Victoria are served by major US airlines, including Alaska, United and
Delta.  We suggest booking flights to arrive in Vancouver by 4:00PM on day 1 of the tour, so you will
have sufficient time to reach the hotel before the welcome reception and dinner. If meeting this
schedule is a problem, please consider coming a day early.  Extra nights at the hotel can be arranged
upon request.    We suggest contacting Leslie Garber of Cadence Travel for assistance booking
flights.   Leslie charges a fee for her service, but our guests find her service to be of value.

PASSPORT--a passport valid at least 6 months beyond trip date is required for this trip.

PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES - These tours include a SIGNIFICANT amount of walking, frequent use of
stairs and steeply sloped pathways on uneven or unpaved surfaces.  Some of the places we will be
visiting can only be seen on foot with no other access possible.  Guests with limited mobility MUST
consult with Sterling prior to tour registration.

To view or print the itinerary, please click HERE
To view or print the Booking Form with Terms & Conditions, please click HERE


For reservations and information, please contact:
Sterling Tours, Ltd            
2907 Shelter Island Drive Suite #105-262   
San Diego, CA 92106      Tel: 619 299-3010     800-976-9497
CST2023849-40       
sterling tours, ltd
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