Long Beach Bound

After another crazy week of managing our three kids, the house, the chores, and work, Damon and I packed up the car and began the trek to Greenpoint Campground, in the Pacific Rim National Park just south of Tofino. We all started the journey a little wound up and stressed out, but the further we got from the city, the more we began to relax. By the time we arrived that evening, we were all in good spirits after the beautiful, scenic drive. Of course it didn't hurt that our friends had already set up camp and had a warm fire going, as well as wine for us and marshmallows for the kids all ready to go. It was a great start to what turned out to be a fabulous, sunny weekend.

One of the things that really struck me over the three days that we were away was the absolute plethora of unspoiled native forest. It is such a treat to really experience the natural, perfect garden that is our west coast forest floor. And at this time of year, the forest plants are really showing off. This has got to be the best time to take a look at Native plants outside of their cramped little quarters in the nursery. One can design an entire garden with perfect, natural layers just in studying the forest edge beside almost any of the campsites in the park, or even the side of the highway anywhere between Port Alberni and Tofino.

The star of the show this time of year is Aruncus dioicus, or Goatsbeard, which is blooming profusely just now anywhere it can in open areas. It is all over the side of the road heading up toward Tofino, where it is finally not choked out by ivy, brambles or broom as it so often is on the South Island. This is a plant that would be fabulous mass planted in a large woodland garden, or even in groups of three or five in a smaller garden. It grows to about four feet wide, and in flower is about three feet high. It also makes a great cut flower, and is widely available in nurseries.

Other gorgeous native plants blooming right now include the diminutive Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry), Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley), and just finishing up is Holodiscus discolor (Oceanspray).

Finally, the native Salmonberry is delicious just now, and beautiful as well, being ripe when it is both yellow and red in colour. This berry is almost like a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. It is large and sweet, great on ice cream. This one would certainly be worth cultivating in a kitchen garden for its early ripening time. As we munched on these berries, my great friend Heather Grimshire, of the Boat House B&B in Ucluelet, mentioned that she had been picking these to serve fresh to her guests in the morning. Such lucky guests!

You know it's been a successful camping trip when on the last afternoon, no one wants to leave. Such was the case with Damon and I and the kids this past Sunday. It was with great reluctance that we brushed the sand off of our toes and headed up the hill, away from the magnificent forest and ocean of the Pacific Rim National Park.