Somewhere in the city sits a circa-1640 barn, which was built in England and in the last decade imported to Vancouver, pieced back together and converted into a house.
Penny Noble, a board member with the Heritage Vancouver Society, said the home is surrounded by a garden that includes a five-year-old sanctuary and pond, which also incorporates the owners love of everything English, including a Yorkstone walkway, and looks like its been in place for centuries.
The owners brought back old salvaged rubble and items from architectural discard yards in England for both the garden and the house, said Noble. The house is only five years old, but looks like its 500 years old. Its very unique.
A rare tour of the property will be available to the fortunate few who participate in the second annual Heritage Vancouver Societys Garden Tour, which takes place June 22 and 23. The self-guided tour will allow the public a glimpse into 14 eclectic gardens across much of the citys west side, as well as several to the east. Tickets are $30 for both days and proceeds from the tour are in support of the society.
Penny said other stops on the tour include a spectacular Japanese garden on a large estate in Shaughnessy, complete with an authentic Asian teahouse built with a mountain scene and moss.
Its indescribable, said Noble. When I walked around the corner of the house I just stopped and said Wow.
But Noble added not all of the gardens are of such a grand scale and many were chosen as examples of what an urban gardener could tackle on their own. In one example, the homeowner removed all the grass and replaced it with low-maintenance, Mediterranean-style plants, while another demonstrates how an environmentally friendly, sustainable garden uses resources readily available, such as rainwater and mason bees. Even the plants in this garden were reclaimed, with some found on Craigslist.
Theres something for everyone on the tour, said Noble. Its not just for accomplished gardeners, but also for people who just want to get some ideas. Its also just a fun day out.
Society president Don Luxton said the group realizes the citys disappearing landscape as an issue so the garden tour also helps raise awareness of its preservation efforts.
As the city is moving towards densification, were losing that space between buildings, said Luxton. Thats having a serious impact on our historical resources. The more we talk to people, we realize theyre not only concerned about heritage but also about context.
That context not only includes character landscaping, said Luxton, but also public, semi-public and private spaces.
Luxton said the society has long had a mandate to protect the citys heritage and unique trees so raising awareness about these special gardens and green spaces is simply an extension of that.
But this tour is not so much about just heritage gardens, said Luxton. There are some of a time period typical to a heritage building, but some arent. Were also looking at how some people have made use of their space to create urban gardens.
For more information, visit heritagevancouver.org.
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