Milner Gardens Part 1 – Rhododendrons & Royalty

I had never heard of Milner Gardens and Woodland on Vancouver Island until a few weeks ago, but I was immediately fascinated by its historic designation and the lure of the 10 acres of gardens on a 70 acre property overlooking the Strait of Georgia. It was just a short drive from where we were camping at Rathtrevor Beach in June and it made for an ideal day trip.

What we discovered when we reached the garden was an amazing collection of greenery, almost whimsical in its placement – some in dedicated gardens such as the Children’s Food Garden and others that just popped up in front of you like this massive Gunnera.

Veronica was an accomplished artist and enthusiastic gardener, and she was a champion of wild gardening where things were planted in drifts. Using the English country garden approach where plants are allowed to fill out, naturalize and intermingle, she created a garden “in tune with the infinite” – a place of serenity, elegance, rhythm and harmony. The peacefulness was immediately evident to us.

Veronica’s sense of design is very much present as you begin to wander the various paths. There is a spirit of ordered chaos as native plants in natural settings blend with plantings of scilla, cyclamen and daffodils. Bluebells, lily of the valley and forget-me-nots appear beneath flowering fruit trees and magnolias. It is truly a feast for the senses!

However, there is one portion of the woodland garden that draws over 25,000 visitors yearly from as far away as Asia and Europe. It is the rhododendrons. Veronica Milner was introduced to rhododendron hybridizers Ted and Mary Greig of BC in 1954, and in the following 15 years planted over 500 rhododendrons of which over 400 remain. The current garden includes some of the early hybrids produced by the Greig’s, but in addition, a separate area is set aside to showcase original plants that were parent to many of those hybrids.

This special section is known as the Rhododendron Species Garden, the only one in Canada and one of very few in the world. Since Milner Gardens was gifted to Vancouver Island University in 1996, it has provided educational opportunities, and students from the Horticulture Technician program work along with garden staff and local Rhododendron Societies to identify the various rhododendron species and to propagate those that are endangered.

The Rhododendron Species Garden contains about 230 species, many of which are over 30 feet tall. Some of the plants have been growing there since 1960 which is a long time for a rhododendron!

We missed the main blooming season for the rhododendrons, but plan to return earlier in the spring next time to see the full glory of these magnificent plants. You can find out more about this amazing project and see some of the incredible blossoms at this short video narrated by a granddaughter of the Greig’s. Don’t miss it!

The original house, designed along the lines of a Ceylonese tea plantation house, was expanded over the years, and evolved into a sprawling home with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It has a cottagey look, but is actually quite large at 6500 sq. ft. Some of the bedrooms have been converted for other uses now such as tea rooms and meeting areas, but the original feeling of the home has been maintained.

Visitors can enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea served in the Camellia Room (unfortunately not open when we were there) and the estate hosts a number of special events through the year including one of the best Christmas light shows in the area.

However, the main draw of Milner Gardens for us was the feeling of being in an oasis. It is not a showy place, rather something mystical and tranquil. It’s a place for peaceful walking and reflection where you breathe deeply and feel you have escaped the world. It’s definitely worth a visit if you are near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island.

In Part 2, I will reveal one of the “funkiest” sections of Milner Gardens. Stay tuned!