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A Garden Gallery

Come, meet, and listen to one of our very own volu Come, meet, and listen to one of our very own volunteers from the Summerland Ornamental Gardens. Kenna comes with a lot of knowledge and experience about bugs. You might learn how to live or get rid of some of those pesky bugs in your garden.
Taraxacum is a genus of flowering plants in the As Taraxacum is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae family and consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The short-lived perennial grows anywhere and is very versatile; it  will grow in any soil condition. Leaves can be fairly shallow to deep lobed and grow in a rosette. The stem contains a milky latex sap. In years past, the removal of dandelions was encouraged, as once the seeds were produced, the seed was carried away by the wind on a pappus, a feathery parachute of soft, white hairs. Nearly all parts of the plant can be eaten  if not sprayed with pesticide. The leaves in a salad, the root into a tea, and the flowers into wine. The flowers are great pollinators. So you will notice both at the gardens and research centre, the flowers are not removed. Photos 📷 taken May, 2025
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Weeping European Beech or Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula Weeping European Beech or Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula' is a cultivar of the common European beech. It is known for its weeping and pendulous branches. You will find this majestic tree near the washrooms in the gardens and is a great place to have lunch under those branches. These trees can reach a height of 25 m ( 82') and tend to be wider than high. As you can see from the photos, the progression of the fullness of the branches. Leaves are dark green in the summer and turn a beautiful golden-copper in the fall. Hardiness is zone  4-7, and it prefers full sun. The lifespann of these trees is 150-200 years. Photos 📷 taken May 2025
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #okanagan #bcgarden #gardensofinstagram #treesofinstagram #trees #deciduous #weepingeuropeanbeech #beech #fagussylvaticapendula #fagussylvatica #majestic #hardiness #zone #fullsun #goldencopper #cultivar
Creeping phlox or Phlox subulata is a low growing, Creeping phlox or Phlox subulata is a low growing, mat-forming flowering plant that spreads as a thick ground cover and comes in different colours. It likes rich soil in organic matter that is slightly acidic but will also tolerate neutral and slightly alkaline soil. It is hardy in zones 3-9 and likes full sun. The fragrant flowers attract many pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds. At the end of flowering, prune back to create a neater form and denser foliage. Bloom time is mid to late spring. Photos 📷 taken May, 2025
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #gardensofinstagram #bcgarden #phlox #phloxsubulata #creepingphlox #bloom #colours #groundcover #hardiness #zone #fullsun #acidic #alkaline #perennials #perennialgarden #pollinator #butterfly #hummingbird
Summerland is having a garden tour next month. Tic Summerland is having a garden tour next month. Tickets for this event sell very quickly. Come and check out these gardens. Get ideas for your own garden from these formal, community, and private gardens.
Here, we have two varieties of Dogwood. The red on Here, we have two varieties of Dogwood. The red one is Cornus Florida "Cherokee Brave" ( Eastern Flowering Dogwood), and the white one is Cornus nutallii "Eddie's White Wonder" ( Pacific Dogwood). When in bloom, they are stunning to look at. The deciduous trees produce star-like blooms in the spring and consist of four rounded bracts that appear before the leaves. "Eddie's White Wonder" is a hybrid of Cornus nuttallii and Cornus florida. Hardiness for these trees is zones 5-9 and quite drought tolerant. They like full sun to partial sun. Mature trees can reach 4.6m-9.1m (15'-30'). Attracts birds and butterflies. Photos 📷 May 2025
#cornusnuttallii #cornusflorida #cherokeebravedogwood #eddieswhitewonder #deciduous #summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #okanagan #gardensofinstagram #gardens #bcgarden #zone #hardiness #fullsun #partialsun #butterflies #birds #droughttolerant #hybrid
Thinking of going to the Meadowlark Festival this Thinking of going to the Meadowlark Festival this weekend? Check out this tour at the Ornamental Gardens. You won't be disappointed. 
#meadowlark #meadowlarkfestival #tours #gardens #summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland
Oregon grape or Mahonia aquifolium is in full bloo Oregon grape or Mahonia aquifolium is in full bloom right now. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub and provides colour all year round with its green and burgundy foliage, yellow flowers, and grape like purplish-blue fruit. The leaves are pinnately compound, glossy, spiny, and leathery. A native of B.C. it is often mistaken for English Holly. It can grow up to 3m (10')and 1.5m( 5') wide and is drought tolerant. Be aware that if you plant this in your garden, it can spread by suckers to form new plants.The berries are edible, and tart. Some use the berries to make jelly. The plant has been used for traditional remedies by Indigenous people. Photos 📷 April 2025
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #bcgarden #gardensofinstagram #oregongrape #mahoniaaquifolium #holly #englishholly #yellow #yellowflower #berries #purple #blue #foliage #drought ##droughttolerant #indigenous #remedy #evergreen #shrubs #sucker #jelly #edible
Come out to this very informative workshop, especi Come out to this very informative workshop, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. Registration is limited.
Our big plant sale is happening this weekend from Our big plant sale is happening this weekend from 8am to 4pm. It is our big fundraiser for the Gardens. A big thank you to all the volunteers who came out this week to help set up and to those coming out this weekend. 
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #plants #sales #fundraiser #fundraiserevent #volunteer #gardens
Walking or driving around the Okanagan at this tim Walking or driving around the Okanagan at this time of the year, you will notice a lot of yellow flowers, including at the Ornamental Gardens. 
Forsythias are fast growing shrubs that belong to the olive family, Oleaceae. This plant was named after the Scottish plant botanist William Forsyth. These deciduous shrubs can grow to a height of 1-3 m ( 3- 10 ft) and are low maintenance. Bees and butterflies love forsythias. The shrubs make great privacy walls.  Once established, they are drought-tolerant,  prefer lots of sunshine, and are fairly tolerant of poor soil. Prune regularly to maintain a specific shape and size. Photos 📷 taken April 2025
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland
#okanagan #gardensofinstagram #bcgarden #forsythia #yellow #yellowflowers #shrubs #botanist #scottish #lowmaintenance #olive #family #oleaceae #bees #butterflies #prune #fullsun
If you are driving through the Okanagan along High If you are driving through the Okanagan along Highway 97, you might notice our updated sign. Drive up to the gardens and take a walk. Everything is starting to bloom or having new leaves on the trees. Throughout the garden, you might also notice our updated and brightly coloured donation boxes. Come by and visit. 
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #okanagan #signage #signs #donation #boxes #bcgarden #gardensofinstagram #tourist #tourism #walk #visit
Magnolia x soulangeana, also called the tulip tree Magnolia x soulangeana, also called the tulip tree or saucer magnolia. You will see this magnificent tree by the Friendship Plaza near the entrance to the Fairy  Garden. It belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and is one of the over hundred cultivars known. Flowers are large, 10-20 cm (4-8") across, and have varying shades of pink, white, and maroon. This shrub grows in zones 5-9, likes full-sun to partial-sun, and can grow to a height  of 4.5-7.5 m ( 15-25'). The flowers have a pleasant fragrance, and its pollinators are insects, beetles, and flies. Photos 📷 taken April 2025.
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #okanagan #gardensofinstagram #bcgarden #magnolia #magnoliaxsoulangeana #tuliptree #saucermagnolia #friendship #plaza #fairy #fairygarden #zone #pinkflowers #maroonflowers #whiteflowers #beetle #flies #insect #fragrance #shrubs #magnoliaceae
Here is a change from posting flowers. I will show Here is a change from posting flowers. I will showcase from time to time some of the beautiful trees in the gardens. This is a Bristlecone Pine or Pinus aristata 'Sherwood Compact'. Unfortunately, Instagram only allows me to post in squares, so the first photo does not show the whole tree. This tree grows to a height of about 1.5m or 5' and 0.9m or 3' wide. It is a slow growing variety of Bristlecone Pine and grows in zones 4-7. It has a distinct pyramidal form and is dense and compact and low maintenance. Under ideal conditions, it can live to 300 years or more. Needs full sunlight and prefers dry to average moisture. Ideal for xeriscaping. 
Photos 📷 taken April, 2025
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland
#bcgarden #gardensofinstagram #bristleconepine #pinusaristata #pine #tree #treesofinstagram #zone #compact #dense #fullsunlight #xeriscape #xeriscapegarden #pyramidal
If you've ever marvelled at a butterfly or wondere If you've ever marvelled at a butterfly or wondered what that HUGE moth is, flutter into our next workshop!  Tyler Nelson is an expert, and he's bringing specimens!  Register at workshops.summerlandgardens@gmail.com.
Glory-of-the-snow or Scilla luciliae is a bulbous Glory-of-the-snow or Scilla luciliae is a bulbous perennial from western Turkey that flowers in the early spring. A Swiss botanist, Pierre Edmond Boissier, honoured his wife, Lucile. You will see these in the Crescent bed at the Ornamental Gardens. The flowers are blue-purple or pink. This perennial belongs to the Asparagaceae family. Once it flowers, it goes into dormancy until next spring. It is a low maintenance perennial that grows in zones 3-8 and requires full-sun to part-shade. Pollinators are attracted to these tiny flowers. Photos 📷 taken April 2025
#summerlandornamentalgardens #summerland #gardensofinstagram #bcgarden #scillaluciliae #gloryofthesnow #bulb #perennials #zone #pollinator #pinkflowers #blueflowers #spring #turkey #botanist #swiss

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