Are you in need of a day off or, better yet, a weekend off?
Take a break from your usual routines and commitments, board the 9:30 ferry from Campbell River on June 23 and/or 24 and travel to Quadra Island to indulge yourself in the semi-annual Quilt and Garden Tour, this year entitled Bays, Bouquets and Bedspreads.
Feel yourself unwind on the 12 minute ferry crossing and then enjoy your day viewing the variety of ten gardens. One garden was planted a hundred years ago by one of Quadra’s early pioneers. A couple of the gardens are, amazingly, just three years old. One oceanside garden is a beautiful rose garden with over 200 different bushes to smell and admire. Many of the gardens include an organic vegetable garden, at least one of which has a good sized green house so veggies can be grown all year round. There are large sprawling gardens and there are some which are not much bigger than a city lot. The three year old Community Gardens will be open for viewing during the tour and will also host an expert who will give demonstrations on composting techniques. Some of the gardens on the tour have spectacular ocean views; others are nestled in the quiet forest or against moss covered bluffs. All of them are unique.
A $12 ticket per person allows you to visit the gardens over two days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A map is included with your ticket and for those visitors unfamiliar with the island, the route is clearly marked with signposts to each display garden. Tickets can be purchased in Campbell River at the Campbell River Tourist Information Centre, Serendipity, and Willows Market in Willow Point. People on Quadra can purchase your ticket from Hummingbird Office Supplies or Works of H’Art in Heriot Bay. Otherwise, you can purchase your ticket on tour days from the Quadra Island Tourist Information booth beside the Credit Union.