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Parks & Recreation > Parks > Hanging Baskets & Nursery
When Victoria's baskets were first introduced, the practice of hanging flower baskets in public areas was limited to a few European cities. Many of the plants used in those baskets would not have performed well in Victoria's climate. Therefore, in the early years many different plants and plant colours were tried in the baskets. They were selected based on their vigor, resistance to disease and insects, period of bloom and other required maintenance needs. The present plan selection has varied only slightly since the 1960's and trials continue today to improve plant selection with new plants or plant varieties. Plants for the baskets are grown in the City of Victoria's Beacon Hill Nursery, located in the southeast corner of Beacon Hill Park.In the first week of May a crew of six gardeners begins construction of over 1000 hanging baskets. This process takes approximately four weeks. After the baskets are made, they remain in the greenhouses for one week before being moved outside to acclimatize to the conditions they will encounter on the streets. During the second week of June the baskets are placed on the City's signature lampposts.
In addition, baskets are sampled weekly for moisture content, pH and soluble salt levels, and appropriate corrective measures are taken, if required. The City of Victoria Hanging Baskets remain on lampposts until mid-September. After removal, the hardware is dismantled, and the plant material is composted. Shade baskets are a recent addition to the City's Hanging Basket Program. As the City's boulevard trees grew larger and cast more shade, it became apparent that an alternative to the 'traditional' sun basket was needed. The Nursery staff decided to try Impatiens baskets with Rhodochition as a trailing plant. Trials continue today as new Impatiens varieties become available. Shade baskets have now expanded into new shade locations where sun baskets would never have reached their full potential.
For more information please contact the Parks Division at (250) 361-0600 or write to:
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Victoria's Hanging Basket Program
Basket waterers work from 11:00pm to 7:30am every day. Each waterer drives a dual steer truck that carries a 2250 litre tank of water. Using a wand attached to a hose from a hydraulic pump, parks staff give each basket 15 litres of water. The water contains a trace amount of fertilizer. Baskets which are in exposed areas are watered 5 - 6 times per week. Baskets in sheltered locations are watered 4 - 5 times per week, depending on the weather.
