We’re out on the road again with friend of the GPOD Cherry Ong, who has sent in photos of another of the many beautiful gardens she’s had the chance to visit this year.
Today I’m sharing some photos of this charming garden we serendipitously found on our road trip on Vancouver Island this August. The Gardens on Anderton is a community garden in Comox, British Columbia, run purely by volunteers. As you can see, the dahlia garden is wonderful! Admission is by donation, so if you visit, please donate generously.
Wow! Look at those huge plantings of incredible dahlias (Dahlia variabilis, Zones 8–11 or as an annual). Dahlias bloom most of the summer but always peak as summer turns into fall.
But it isn’t just dahlias—beautiful layers of plants fill the garden here, with tall Verbena bonariensis (Zones 7–10 or as an annual) in the foreground.
A simply elegant planting of a single lavender plant (Lavandula sp., Zones 5–9) in a container
This beautiful little water garden is wrapped in a lush planting of shrubs and perennials.
It’s hard to believe that this incredible space is run entirely by volunteers. What a labor of love!
I love the pops of blue color from the window boxes and window frames.
Back to the dahlias. Dahlias come in a dazzlingly wide range of colors and forms and heights. I love how this planting starts in warm salmon tones at the left and then transforms into shades of pink to the right.
A simple dahlia with just a single layer of white petals
This dahlia has a totally different, but equally beautiful, look with its layers and layers of narrow salmon petals.
One last look at this beautiful garden. Thanks for taking us to visit, Cherry!
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