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By Cheryl Jahn

Groundbreaking on Botanical Garden tomorrow

Jun 15, 2023 | 3:42 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It has been years in the making and tomorrow, the ground will be officially broken on a new botanical garden on the site at UNBC.

“We are in the process right now of final grading and leveling to make it ready to plant. We have sandy loam on-site at the university. I think 1700 cubic meters. We have not quite that much compost from the regional district that will be mixed and applied to the site,” explains Linda Naess, President of the David Douglas Botanical Garden Society.

Renderings of the garden over the 2.8 acres of land have changed over the years, but the relationship between the David Douglas Botanical Garden Society and UNBC has been a long-standing one.

“Quite some time ago, it was sort of provided to the David Douglas as an opportunity by a former president,” explains Kathy Lewis, Interim VP of Research and Innovation And since then, we’ve been working with a David Douglas to actually bring it into effect. So they have a license to something like leases to occupy. there are certain restrictions on that. Of course, things that we still have to be responsible for. But, um, it’s, it’s really progressed quite well and delighted to see the work that’s going, going on up there already.”

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The gardens will eventually have things like a pavilion – which may be down the road – but educational opportunities abound.

“For sustainable agriculture, just as an example, an area that we’re really interested in getting into and this is a northern climate, we’re under climate change and it’s a great opportunity for us to test out some different varieties, different soil configurations and those kinds of things.”

The Education Gardens at the front of the university represent Phase One of the project. The groundbreaking of the site beside the daycare is Phase Two A.

“Phase two is in two parts. And this is the first part, the planting groups joining us, the community gardens joining us, which is another exciting project and plus the planting of the 2.8 acres,” says Naess. “It involves the plant, an actual walkway through the garden and the entryway, and then the planting of a rose garden, some ornamental gardens, a labyrinth which started as a maze.”

It may be a while off, but at some point, there will be a golden opportunity to visit one of the northernmost botanical gardens to smell the roses.