As the publishers of Canada’s Local Gardener magazine (previously Manitoba Gardener, Alberta Gardener and Ontario Gardener), my daughter Shauna Dobbie and I head west to explore the gardens of B.C and Alberta.
We dropped by the fabulous Butchart Gardens in Victoria, where a whole new world of trees and shrubs were revealed for our discovery. We particularly loved the Japanese garden, which is a cool, wooded area that brings peace and calm after the vibrancy of the rose garden. It was very hot this day as it was the beginning of the heat dome that hovered over the western part of Canada for more than a week.
Abkhazi Garden in Victoria was another highlight, again a shade garden with a teahouse in the middle.
One of the Vancouver gardens had a 50-foot-tall bamboo clump grown by a gardener who had discovered how to manage the runners by mounding soil around the roots and stems so that if a new shoot tried to break through, he could see it and stop in its track. An entrepreneur turned artist, he carved beautiful things from maple.
Garry Hedberg’s 50-foot-tall bamboo. 
Garry is an artist in his second career after business. 
Lots of exotic plants in Garry’s garden.
We also visited the garden of the Mayor of Chilliwack and toured the streetscapes of Vancouver’s Grandview with Stephanie Rose, one of our national editorial board members. Stephanie teaches people to make soaps and aromatics from natural products on her website, Garden Therapy https://gardentherapy.ca/.
Communing with birds is a great way for Mayor Ken to reduce stress. 
The mayor of Chilliwack shared his spectacular and cozy garden. 
This is where the mayor hides out when he needs a break from politics. 
A view of Mayor Ken’s garden from a different angle. 
The mayor’s house is his other haven.
In Alberta, we saw several amazing gardens. A highlight was a day spent with owner Gloria Beck from Parkland Garden Centre in Red Deer. She introduced us to a gardener named Sai, who grew all sorts of interesting things in her garden, but in the back yard, she had a wonderful collection of succulents, many of which she grew from seed, including, of all things, lithops, the living stones!
In Alberta, it is all about colour. The van Buskirks in Edmonton. 
A garden by the lake landscaped by Gloria’s brother. 
Gloria spent the day taking us to gardens. 
Gloria’s gazebo in the garden centre yard. 
In Red Deer, it was Gloria Beck and her Parkland Garden Centre. 
Sai, the lovely gardener surprised us with succulents. 
Growing succulents from seed. 
She brought her heritage to Red Deer. 
Our Edmonton gardener. 
Good grooming.
Our last stop on this western journey was Lethbridge here we visited a landscaper who makes fences out of stone and wire. Called gabions, I even saw this design used to make a fountain. Winnipeggers can see this on Roblin Blvd. at the new restaurant called Elena.
The Hilderson family in Lethbridge do landscaping. 
Beautiful fountain 
Even a landscaper needs a few flowers.
Stephanie Rose. 
Stephanie has a water garden sized for her property. 
Eryngium. 
Lovely Lanfley. 
Nature’s bounty driftwood enhances BC gardens. 
This treasure is not far from our Korean gardener in Red Deer. 
Shauna climbs the long stairs to the sun. 
Stephanie’s front yard water garden. 
The peonies were in bloom in Edmonton.