Departments > Parks, Recreation and Culture > Parks Division > "The Orcas"

About

For the second consecutive year, a mother and baby orca have taken up residence in Victoria's Inner Harbour - in the form of a three-dimensional horticultural display. The "Surfacing" display, otherwise known as "the orcas" is a four-metre tall and six-metre long garden display of a mother and baby orca riding a wave. The display was inspired by similar three-dimensional garden structures in Burnaby and Old Montreal's Mosaiculture Garden.

This summer, "the orcas" are making the southeast corner of Humboldt and Government Streets, across from Tourism Victoria, their home. The unique garden display is designed to enhance Victoria's downtown and can change location each spring. The City and the DVBA worked closely to determine its new location.

The horticultural display is portable and is a temporary, seasonal installation. In the fall, it will be transported to the Beacon Hill Park nursery to winter in a greenhouse.

"Surfacing" is the first horticultural display of this magnitude on Vancouver Island.

How It Was Made

In 2010, there were two phases of construction - the design and manufacturing of the frame, and its preparation and planting as a three-dimensional garden bed.

The frame took five months to construct, using galvanized steel bars in a grid-like fashion. The interior of the frame is hollow.

Preparation for planting the steel frame begins each February in the Beacon Hill Park nursery. Over a two week period, Parks staff cover the frame with a landscape fabric and fill it with 5.5 cubic metres of soil mixed with sand for drainage.

Nursery staff then plant 11,000 plants consisting of four varieties of Alternanthera and one variety of Santolina, annuals that are known for their colourful foliage and easy maintenance.

Maintenance of the display will consist of bi-monthly trimming and regular watering.

The Designer

The City of Victoria contracted Sandra Bilawich of Elemental Designs in Vancouver to design and construct the frame. Bilawich was selected as the designer due to her proven track record in designing and constructing horticultural displays for Burnaby and Coquitlam.

Some of Bilawich's three-dimensional garden installations include Burnaby's eagle garden, bees, three bears, and salmon displays, and Coquitlam's Echinacea flower with a bee. For more information, visit: www.elementaldesigns.org

Photo Gallery

Click here to see "the making of" photos of "The Orcas."

Contact Us

For more information, contact:

Parks Division
Parks, Recreation and Culture Department
City of Victoria
Tel. 250.361.0600
Email Parks Division

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