This Mother’s Day (May 12), the Denman Conservancy suggests treating mom to an unforgettable experience: tickets to the 2024 Denman Island Home and Garden Tour!
The Denman Island Home and Garden Tour has been a cherished tradition since 1992. Designed to support the Denman Conservancy Association, this biennial event promises an extraordinary journey through 12 unique homes and gardens, each telling a story of conservation and creativity. From beach-front cottages to lush hobby farms, each property offers a unique glimpse into the Island’s natural beauty and creative spirit.
Among the notable landmarks is the legendary botanical haven of Sandy and Des Kennedy, revered in numerous television broadcasts, literary works, and periodicals. This famed sanctuary stands as a testament to the back-to-the-land ethos, which attracted urban exiles to the shores of Denman Island in the 1970s. Also commemorated in print is “Mossy Hollow” the home of Bee Balm, featured in Lloyd Kahn’s book, Builders of the Pacific Coast.
The Tour invites you to take leisurely strolls through cascading gardens, serene ponds, and wooded ravines, encountering rustic abodes nestled amidst ferns and forests, as well as modern dwellings showcasing self-sustainability with solar panels, water conservation systems, and beach-front decks. You will visit hobby farms that champion sustainability and craftsmanship, complete with workshops, historic barns, ponds, and solar energy solutions.
Tour organizer, Verna Isbister invites you to “become enchanted by the beauty and creativity of log homes adorned with stained glass, local artwork, orchards, gardens, saunas, and lychgates. To lose yourself in the charm of renovated cottages boasting tranquil geodesic domes, gardens brimming with herbs and fruit trees, and modern kitchens overlooking backyard havens with hot tubs.”
Further details can be found on an interactive map at: denmanconservancy.org/tour
The Tour runs June 15th and 16th, 9am to 4pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on-line or at various venues: Garden Works (Courtenay), Denman Hardware (Denman Island), Hornby Gas Bar (Hornby Island), KenDoor (Qualicum), Cultivate (Parksville), Weinberg’s (Buckley Bay), Blue Heron Books (Comox)
Cyclists: organizers would like to see cyclists take over the Island during this event, so as an incentive, there will be a free draw for those riding on the tour, to win a basket of prizes. In the past, we’ve had over 100 cyclists. To enter the cyclists’ draw, simply enter your name at the Arts Centre in downtown Denman Island.