Sunday, November 30, 2014

Cold Beacon Hill

We are in Victoria, British Columbia, where winters are usually very mild.

However, today things were topsy-turvy with temperatures apparently above 10C at Roche Fleurie, whereas here in Victoria it was a chilly -5C with a dusting of snow. I took the opportunity that it was very sunny to take the following pictures in Beacon Hill, the largest park in the city.





Much of Victoria is on the rock. 
One of the native trees - the Garry Oak (Quercus garryana)
 Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga mensiesii) is also native 
This is not just outdoor art, but a water playground that squirts water in summer
At the base of this bridge usually stands a heron that does not appear to be afraid of humans.
A sign indicates that they are hunted and eaten by bald eagles.





To conclude, the rock garden which Reginald Farrer would have judged pudding-like
What I would most like to see in this park (I have never been here at the right time of the year) are the thousand of native blue camas lilies that bloom in some of the grassy areas.

9 comments:

  1. Hope you enjoy your warm winter out there!

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  2. It's good to see you post again. Now I know where all the nasty weather we're having comes from.

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  3. My wife’s family used to all live in Victoria; sadly they are all gone now. When we married (41 yrs.) we stayed in Victoria and spent a day in Beacon Hill, that is where I first saw the giant Gunnera plants growing, they intrigued me so that when we bought Menagerie Manor it was one of the first plants I added to the landscape.

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  4. According to Cornell, our herons are year round, so one of mine is not visiting Victoria. It was a nice thought, they fascinate me so. Beautiful park.

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  5. Beautiful. The tree in the first photos looks to have an eye created by the shadow. Herons around us are luckier as there isn't really a bird of prey big enough to take it on.

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  6. The heron is enough big for eagle, isn't it? Lovely photos, Alain, I most love the last one.

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  7. Lovely images Alain, much appreciate you sharing with us.
    I'll bet the kids and grown up kids, for that matter, really enjoy that water feature in summer. I know I would.

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  8. Hi Alain, that's a beautiful park with some very impressive specimen trees. The giant watering can is inspired but I wouldn't like to be standing under that at this time of year!

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  9. LOvely pics. That first tree is amazing!

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