The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP) Gardens opened in 1979 with a prominent vision in mind, to have a public demonstration garden and a centre of horticultural education, celebrating the importance of plants in a sustainable world. It was started and run by volunteers and to this day we could not exist without our volunteer support. We are a not-for-profit registered charity. The Gardens are designed to show the best gardening techniques and plant material for the Pacific North West.
We have approximately 100 volunteers who come in weekly to work in the gardens, office, library, and conservation park. Approximately 20 students attend our Pacific Horticulture College enrolled in our 10-month horticulture certificate program as well as other students enrolled in IPM training and part-time landscape horticulturist programs. Over 500 participants attended online and in-person community education classes or workshops in 2020. We offer programs for many school groups, youth, and children's garden camps as well as programs for special needs groups. The HCP has over 2500 members and had 6438 visitors who were non-members in 2020 alone.
HCP brings excitement and change to the community, providing an inspiring natural learning environment in which visitors and students can learn responsible horticulture and conservation practices and the importance of plants to a sustainable world. HCP reaches out to our community and the world with innovative education programs that connect people, especially children, with plants and nature, and increase awareness of the importance and fragility of our natural environment. We develop, catalog, and display a rich collection of plants that demonstrates the variety of plants that can be grown in our climate and contributes to the protection of biodiversity. We demonstrate responsible stewardship of our conservation lands through our sustainable management practices, habitat restoration and education programs.
We have approximately 100 volunteers who come in weekly to work in the gardens, office, library, and conservation park. Approximately 20 students attend our Pacific Horticulture College enrolled in our 10-month horticulture certificate program as well as other students enrolled in IPM training and part-time landscape horticulturist programs. Over 500 participants attended online and in-person community education classes or workshops in 2020. We offer programs for many school groups, youth, and children's garden camps as well as programs for special needs groups. The HCP has over 2500 members and had 6438 visitors who were non-members in 2020 alone.
HCP brings excitement and change to the community, providing an inspiring natural learning environment in which visitors and students can learn responsible horticulture and conservation practices and the importance of plants to a sustainable world. HCP reaches out to our community and the world with innovative education programs that connect people, especially children, with plants and nature, and increase awareness of the importance and fragility of our natural environment. We develop, catalog, and display a rich collection of plants that demonstrates the variety of plants that can be grown in our climate and contributes to the protection of biodiversity. We demonstrate responsible stewardship of our conservation lands through our sustainable management practices, habitat restoration and education programs.
It is the goal of HCP to provide high quality, accredited education for horticulture professionals by responding to the needs of the horticulture industry and our students through innovative programs. We engage in research with partners in plant sciences to expand our knowledge of native plants and their importance for biodiversity and sources of food. We promote an outdoor lifestyle that includes gardening with moderate physical activity. Gardening has been linked to health benefits and mental wellbeing, especially for seniors. Many of our volunteers are seniors, and providing an outdoor space for them to connect with others in the community is a valuable resource. Families and parents have a green space with many educational activities to connect young people with plants and horticulture. Community education classes are held year-long for everyone.
HCP is an award winning venue available for weddings and private functions, with a beautiful public garden area for everyone to enjoy. Arts & Music in the Gardens is an annual event where local artists and musicians can promote their work. We have a library for our members, students, and volunteers which has an excellent collection of gardening and horticulture related books. The HCP is also the host for the Saanich Seedy Saturday annual event.
The area consists of 9 acres of demonstration gardens and 100 acres of conservation park. Our iconic tree is the Eucalyptus perriniana planted in 1986. We have an Empress Fig tree growing near our library, which is a cutting from the original tree at the Empress Hotel and it has heritage tree status. We also are very fortunate to have two Wollemi Pine on site. They are endangered and one of the world's oldest and rarest plants. We propagate plants from the garden for sale in our plant sale area. HCP was named Canada's Garden of the Year for 2017.
HCP is an award winning venue available for weddings and private functions, with a beautiful public garden area for everyone to enjoy. Arts & Music in the Gardens is an annual event where local artists and musicians can promote their work. We have a library for our members, students, and volunteers which has an excellent collection of gardening and horticulture related books. The HCP is also the host for the Saanich Seedy Saturday annual event.
The area consists of 9 acres of demonstration gardens and 100 acres of conservation park. Our iconic tree is the Eucalyptus perriniana planted in 1986. We have an Empress Fig tree growing near our library, which is a cutting from the original tree at the Empress Hotel and it has heritage tree status. We also are very fortunate to have two Wollemi Pine on site. They are endangered and one of the world's oldest and rarest plants. We propagate plants from the garden for sale in our plant sale area. HCP was named Canada's Garden of the Year for 2017.