Mother’s Day Musical Garden Tour

Garden 1
Once a simple half-acre with a handful of trees, a few roses, and no fencing when the owners arrived in 2011, this garden has been transformed into a richly layered landscape spanning two levels. Today, a pergola anchors mixed borders filled with magnolias, dogwoods, Japanese maples, lilacs, azaleas, rhododendrons, and hydrangeas, complemented by irises, over forty roses, lilies, hosta, peonies, clematis, and more. A white garden nestles against a stone retaining wall, while shaded and full-sun borders ensure year-round interest. Recreated since 2020 with guidance from Jane Tice of the Pacific Horticultural College, the garden continues to evolve. Its owner, a former Gardens West Magazine contributor, is pleased to share this evolving space in support of the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Garden 2
Hiding behind a tall gate and towering hedges, this lovely country garden offers a sense of privacy and quiet discovery. Once primarily a summer rose garden, it is now transitioning into a space designed for year-round interest. Deep garden beds are filled with many unique bulbs, providing seasonal variation and structure. Hydrangea hedges help define the landscape, while herb gardens add another layer of purpose and texture. Throughout the garden, dry-loving perennials mingle with distinctive grasses and sedums, creating a resilient and thoughtfully composed planting palette. This evolving garden reflects careful planning and an appreciation for plants that offer beauty across changing seasons.
Sponsored by Sponsored by Victorian at McKenzie (Atria Retirement).

Garden 3
Experience the tranquil atmosphere of a Japanese garden on an acre of majestic trees. Walk along stepping stones through over sixty Japanese maples – Acer palmatum, Inabe Shidare, Weeping Viridis, Crimson Queen. Flowering rhododendrons and azaleas in reds and pinks are accented by boxwood topiaries, sedge, and sword ferns. A combination of living and carefully placed faux plants enhances the visual composition. Bronze bird and deer sculptures rest on a glacier rock. River rock flows like water through the landscape. Follow pea gravel paths into a bamboo forest. Cross the red bridge and reflect on your connection with nature.
Sponsored by Splashes.

Garden 4
Shaped by time, care, and creativity, this popular half-acre garden is a beautiful reflection of nature’s ongoing evolution. Pavers now define select paths in this popular half-acre garden, which features two ponds and an exuberant mix of perennials, bulbs and shrubs under tall oak trees. Rhododendrons and other deer resistant plants thrive in the front garden; roses, lilies and other delectables are safely fenced in the back. Glass sculptures sparkle among the foliage, and other garden art and touches of whimsey abound. Last August an episode of the TV series, “Private Eyes” was filmed in the front and back gardens. Glass sculptures and other garden art will be available for sale with 20% of proceeds going to Victoria Conservatory of Music. Sculptures are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds going to the Conservatory.
Sponsored by Munro’s Books.

Garden 5
Tucked behind a private residence, this peaceful garden retreat offers a quiet escape for a professional couple seeking privacy and connection to nature. The garden backs onto a winding trail that leads directly to Anderson Park, known for its panoramic ocean views. Thoughtfully planted with a diverse selection of interesting perennials, mature shrubs, and ornamental trees, the landscape provides year-round structure and seasonal interest. The setting feels calm and secluded, with the surrounding greenery enhancing the sense of retreat. This garden’s close relationship to the trail and park creates a seamless transition between cultivated space and the broader natural environment, making it a reflective and restorative stop on the tour.
Sponsored by Mac Reno Design Build.

Garden 6
The beautiful gardens on this property consist of an enclosed, sheltered backyard garden with decorative trees, flowering shrubs, perennials and bulbs blooming Spring into Fall. And, a front yard garden seen from Hampshire Road with a decorative gravel garden which is unirrigated by design- thriving on natural rainfall only. An abundance of drought resilient, easy-care plants bloom from spring into fall with shades of blue, pink and white and shining silver foliage as a foil. All plants in this tranquil escape are deer-proof, many are fragrant, and most are loved by honeybees and butterflies.

Garden 7
“Garden Oaks” is a 1913 home once surrounded by extensive gardens of four properties, which had gradually become lawn. The owners have reimagined the landscape replacing lawns with interconnected garden rooms of distinct character. Espaliered trees, hostas, rhododendrons, skimmia, peonies, poppies, xeriscape, and locally adapted plantings weave through sun and shade, integrating natural rock outcroppings. Patios, shaded retreats, art created in the owner’s artist’s studio, and layered plantings create a cohesive landscape that balances structure, ecology, and beauty across the site.
Sponsored by Canadian Tire, View Royal.

Garden 8
Shaped by the natural topography of the land, this vibrant garden features a series of thoughtfully designed beds filled with seasonal flowers and diverse shrubs—from full-sun blooms to lush, shade-loving foliage. A winding path leads visitors beneath a majestic old oak tree to a charming gazebo, offering a serene view back across the ever-changing landscape. Each visit reveals something new, with colorful displays that attract birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and other island wildlife. A peaceful oasis created through experimentation and care, this garden offers a tranquil retreat for nature lovers and garden enthusiasts alike. A truly enchanting stop on any tour.

Garden 9
Come and enjoy Wicklow Cottage Garden, a mature garden designed for privacy, whimsy and tranquility. Plantings are interspersed with sculpture and statuary inherited from and in honour of family and friends. A sculptured Mugo pine offers a surprise foundation to the beds that are home to an Arbutus unedo, Cornus kousa, oak leaf hydrangea, Styrax japonica, and rhododendrons. The patio awning provides a shaded summer living room replete with pots overflowing with colour. A small garage is converted into a cottage workshop and guest room. The compost boxes, potting bench, tool shed and small greenhouse, provide essential underpinnings of the garden.

Ann and George Nation created the Mother’s Day Musical Garden tour as a way to raise funds for the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The couple, along with a dedicated group of their friends and volunteers, organized every aspect of the tour – coordinating the gardens, publicity, sponsorship, plant sale, and offering tea and music to the hundreds and thousands of visitors who have attended the Garden Tour over these many years. George, an avid gardener, grew every single plant and cutting that he submitted every year to the Plant Sale; there are many people today who can look at their own magnificent gardens to see what is now a beautiful tree or plant that was created by the hands of George Nation!

The Nations nurtured the tour to become one of the most loved and successful annual charitable fundraising events in Victoria. They also continued the work started by Ann’s mother by providing very generous, loyal financial support that helped sustain the Conservatory over all of those many years. Their enormous contribution was recognized by naming the “Ann and George Nation Conservatory School of Classical Music” as a lasting legacy when the organization celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2014.

George passed away on March 12th 2017 at the age of 97, and Ann passed away on June 1, 2019. We honour them for their energy, spirit, and unfailing support of and dedication to music education.

Many of the Mother’s Day Musical Garden Tour homes and gardens have been featured in the Times Colonist House Beautiful feature. Look back at a few of our favourites:

May 2, 2015 | Sounds of Music in the Gardens

July 23, 2016 | Kid-friendly character in the Uplands

May 6, 2017 | Modern vintage in Fairfield

May 5, 2018 | A heavenly abode of heritage in Gordon Head

April 27, 2019 | A ship-shape seaside garden

May 10, 2019 | Mid-century Rockland gem

May 9, 2020 | Son of Victoria gardening legends has passion for landscapes

April 24, 2021 | From debris to delight, Sunnymead garden takes shape over 3 decades

April 30, 2022 | Spectacular water feature the beating heart of verdant landscape at Ten Mile Point home

May 4, 2024 | A lifelong love affair with stones home

May 3, 2025 | Painting ‘rivers of colour’ in the garden