Urban Oases of Victoria - Outerbridge Park
When you hear that Victoria is the “City of Gardens”, you might think that it’s just a catch phrase or that Victorians really like to garden and there is truth in both of those things. That said, if you start to focus on the amazing amount of stunning gardens that are open to the public, you realise that we really are the City of gardens. Beyond a visit to the famous Butchart Gardens there are so many more, such as Beacon Hill Park, Government House and Abkhazi Gardens and those are just a few around downtown (at some point I should make a map of them I suppose…) One of the ones that I discovered more recently is Outerbridge Park in Saanich. This public garden is just about at the end of the Blenkinsop Valley where it meets Cordova Bay. From the road, it has access points on Blenkinsop Road and Royal Oak Drive, though if you are visiting by car there is only parking off Royal Oak Drive. It is also very easily accessible by bike from the Lochside Trail.
Outerbridge Park is a relatively new park, having only been opened by Saanich in 2005. While not a massive place at just under 10 acres with two looping pathways, you can easily spend a lot of time taking in all the little details whether it is the little bridges over the waterways or the beautiful plants. It seems like a perfect spot to stop and have lunch on a long bike ride.
The park was created originally by Jo Ann Outerbridge as the ShangriLa Bird and Nature Sanctuary. After looking after it for a number of years she donated it to Saanich for it to be made into a public park. Outerbridge was born in Bermuda and attended horticultural school in Pennsylvania and it is clear that she had a serious green thumb. She moved to Victoria in 1987 at the age of 67 and began to amass the properties that would become Outerbridge Park. The park’s creator died in 2014 almost a decade after gifting the space to Saanich. One of the interesting things about the park is that the maintenance is done in conjunction with the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (One of the best gardens in the region by far), rather than by Saanich parks on their own (though Saanich Park staff do tend some amazing park spaces around the municipality!)
When I visited, the Hellebore were in bloom and all over the place. There is also an abundance of well maintained bamboo that gives the park an exotic feel. As you make your way to the southern and highest point of the park, there is a clearing with a small cabin structure that is used by community groups and the area surrounding it would be perfect for a picnic on a summer day.
If you are heading out for a ride to Matticks Farm, I would highly recommend a rest stop and wander around of this beautiful hidden garden.