You might have noticed perky yellow daffodils popping up along Bowen boulevards and public spaces. They’re a legacy of generations of Bowen Island Garden Club members.
The tradition began in 2004 when Sheila Webster painted her vision of an island where daffodils bloom along the roadways and in barrels beside post boxes for everyone to appreciate these wonderful harbingers of Spring. Over the years, pick wielding volunteers have battled compacted gravel and searched out bedrock niches to tuck in a few bulbs.
Most recently the club supplied spring bulbs to students at Bowen Island Community School and Island Pacific School to plant up the new Fire Hall landscape beds.
The Bowen Island Garden Club grew from “The Joy of Gardening,” a regular 1980s column in the Undercurrent. Its mission is to promote the love of gardening, encourage sound and resilient horticultural practices through education, and enhance civic beautification. Programs grow out of the interest of members. Through the winter, guest speakers inspire us with engaging presentations on all aspects of the garden.
With spring comes the ever popular Open Gardens. The public is invited to enjoy these informal visits to some very interesting and beautiful Island gardens. This year’s Sunday Open Garden dates are: Riley’s Cidery Orchard tours, May 7; O’Donnell’ Conifers, May 28; Dual MacDonald & Izdebski Gardens, June 25; MacDonald, July 9; and Rosell & Staples, August 20.
New this year is a special event on July 22. A mid- summer soirée, Art in the Garden will be a festive evening featuring original work by Bowen Island artists, music and wine tasting in a beautiful three-acre garden.
Tickets will go on sale shortly and entitle visitors to a curated tasting of three wines. Proceeds from art and wine sales will benefit the Bowen Island Conservancy’s new Wild Coast Nature Refuge at Cape Roger Curtis.
The Bowen Island Garden Club is a perfect example of Boweners sharing a common interest in gardening, and getting together throughout the year to learn from guest speakers and take inspiration from some of the beautiful island gardens that are generously opened up for the public to view. We invite you to come out to some of the public events noted above, or even to join us to get access to the activities that require membership to attend.
For more information please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
