What's Up at Noble Garden This Season?

by Penny Gibbs

Adding to the precious wealth of protected green spaces in North Saanich (24 nature parks and 34 shoreline access parks), the district was gifted Noble Garden from long-time resident and gardener Sandra Holloway, née Noble in 2023.

The entrance to Noble Garden in the Deep Cove neighbourhood

Situated in Deep Cove between Wain Road and Madrona Drive, Noble Garden includes a fruit tree orchard, formal garden beds, a heritage rose garden, and leased garden plots spread over 1.3 acres. Sandra’s wish was to maintain the garden as a family legacy and community asset and thus Noble Garden is open to the public for community events and educational programs. It is currently managed and maintained by the non-profit Circular Farm and Food Society along with other partners.

There will be three major events in the garden this summer, all of which will feature local talent, and will benefit local musicians, artists and authors, as well as the garden. Here are details from Penny Gibbs about the events, market and workshops planned for this year.

SATURDAY, MAY 9th (2:00-4:00): MUSIC IN THE GARDEN: SUNNY SHAMS and DIANE PANCEL, accompanied by ASHLEY WEY will perform an afternoon of classical, jazz, pop, and Broadway classics. The opening act will feature ISAIAH SMITH (a graduate of the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston, Isaiah plays the electric bass).

Come for an afternoon of music, enjoy the garden, and celebrate the Mothers’ Day weekend in style! Ingrid from Baloo Bear Bakery will be there with sweet and savoury treats, and Kaine will be offering the sparkling Invinity wines (and, by the way, you can’t get any more local than Invinity as they’re about a quarter of a kilometer away from the garden, and they make beautiful sparkling wines!). Tickets are $30.00, and are available by:

emailing thenoblegarden1@gmail.com
stopping by at Russell Nursery 1970 Wain Road

SUNDAY, JUNE 14th (2:00-4:00): ART IN A SUMMER GARDEN: This is a special event, because it marks exactly 15 years from the day of the art event organized to benefit the North Saanich Farm Market in 2011. At least two of the artists participating this year were also part of the show in 2011. The afternoon will feature painters, potters, sculptors and a woodworker. They’ll all be set up throughout the garden, so it’ll be a wonderful opportunity to tour the garden and talk to the artists. Isaiah Smith will be back to provide music to enhance the ambience! Admission is by donation to the Noble Garden, but attendance is limited, so please register by emailing thenoblegarden1@gmail.com

SUNDAY, JULY 19th (2:00-4:00): WRITERS READ: We have an embarrassment of riches on the Peninsula with so many wonderful local authors, and at least four of them will be coming to read from their works in the garden. Plan to tour the garden and listen to authors reading from their works. As with the previous event, admission is by donation to the Noble Garden, but attendance is limited, so please register by emailing thenoblegarden1@gmail.com

SUMMER MARKETS:

We will again have garden gate markets at the Madrona entrance on Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00, hopefully starting in June. Leona, who grew most of the vegetables last year (and all those amazing San Marzano tomatoes!) is taking over a second veggie bed as well this year, so there will be an expanded range of offerings. We are also hoping that Rob and Lesley from Thatch Creek Farm on Towner will put in the occasional guest appearance again (even if they just drop off some of those magnificent yellow watermelons when they’re ready!). And this year, there just might be some Meyer and Yuzu lemons and Bearss limes for sale as well!

FORTHCOMING WORKSHOPS:

The BC Fruit Testers Association held two very successful winter fruit tree pruning workshops in February, and there are plans afoot for more joint events through the year, including a Summer Pruning Workshop in late July or early August. Thanks to the generous donations from the participants, Penny was able to buy a 6′ orchard ladder, which will be in use throughout the garden all year.

Penny is also planning some spring and fall ivy weaving workshops. Her latest projects are succulent planters, which are fun and easy and much quicker to complete than full baskets!

VOLUNTEER SESSIONS:

And, as always, there will be volunteer sessions in the garden on the second Sunday of every month, from 1:00-3:00. After so many years of just pulling out invasives, Penny is planning a few sessions for planting things as well! The next session is Sunday, April 12th.

Any offers to help by volunteering would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Penny at thenoblegarden1@gmail.com