– by Bill Turner<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I first saw Abkhazi Garden in 1999 shortly after it had been sold to a developer. \u00a0The development proposal, which had approvals from the City of Victoria, was to build 12 townhouses on the site of this unique and beautiful garden \u2013 a plan that would have completely destroyed this significant part of our community\u2019s heritage.\u00a0 Even though it was beginning to show signs of being left to its fate, I was amazed at its beauty even then.\u00a0\u00a0 It still had the \u201cbones\u201d of a wonderful and intriguing garden.\u00a0\u00a0 I have seen many of the world\u2019s great gardens but as soon as I saw Abkhazi Garden it was right up there among my favorites (along with Sissinghurst and Hidcote).<\/p>\n
As Executive Director of The Land Conservancy, I\u2019d been asked by a number of community members to see if we could do something to protect the site.\u00a0 Soon after I visited again, this time with one of TLC\u2019s biologists, who agreed with me \u201cwe must save this garden!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And we did.\u00a0\u00a0 I was able to negotiate a purchase arrangement from the developer for his costs plus a small profit.\u00a0\u00a0 Although we had very little time, the community came together and, through the work of a dedicated group of volunteers, we raised enough money to protect this magnificent treasure (with a $1,000,000 mortgage).<\/p>\n
A short while later we were able to purchase an adjacent lot, which had always been a part of the garden but had been already been sold to another speculator and was being sold as a building lot.\u00a0\u00a0 Funds for its down payment was raised by a second campaign and two TLC members put up the remaining dollars needed through small mortgages.<\/p>\n
Through the tireless efforts and dedication of hundreds of volunteers and a very small number of staff the garden was soon restored to its former glory.\u00a0\u00a0 We pushed to make sure that it was open to the public (not a private preserve for a limited few) and we succeeded.\u00a0 Under the brilliant direction of the Head Gardner the second lot was carefully restored to its original design and made a seamless part of the garden.<\/p>\n
In the following years, we continued to improve the garden , restoring the spirit and character that the Abkhazis first established, we enhanced the functioning and programming of the site to accommodate thousands of visitors and make this truly a community space, and we continued to service the mortgages.<\/p>\n
So many wonderful things have happened at this garden over the years, including some that are particularly important (and personal) to me.\u00a0\u00a0 A very special friend of mine was married in the garden (the first wedding in the garden after TLC purchased it).\u00a0\u00a0 My mother celebrated her 90th<\/sup> birthday there.\u00a0\u00a0 She loved the garden, and we brought her there many times for tea.\u00a0 We also held my mother\u2019s memorial ceremony in the garden 5 years later.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 My niece held her 2nd<\/sup> book launch in the tea room.<\/p>\n But Abkhazi wasn\u2019t just meaningful for me personally.\u00a0 It was also a very special place for the whole community.\u00a0 The garden gave back to a lot of people.\u00a0\u00a0 Many do not know of its gifts to individuals.\u00a0\u00a0 There was a gentleman who regularly brought his Saturday morning paper and read it in the garden.\u00a0\u00a0 There was the member who, while going through a course of radiation therapy at the Cancer clinic, kept his hope alive by coming to the garden after each treatment and sitting with a cup of tea while letting the garden heal him.\u00a0 He told me that \u201clooking forward to sitting in the garden\u201d was what allowed him to endure the treatments.\u00a0\u00a0 So many have been healed by Abkhazi.\u00a0 At TLC we had a policy of giving entrance passes to extended care hospitals in the area and we had just developed a new program for critical care physicians to send appropriate patients to Abkhazi when the management changed and programming was discontinued.<\/p>\n The site was also a focal point for so much of our activities at TLC.\u00a0 It has been the location for some important public announcements, such as TLC\u2019s purchase of the Sooke Hills, the completion of the Matthews Point Regional Park on Galiano Island, the successful acquisition of the Sooke Potholes and \u00a0the launch of the Be The Change campaign, and so many more.\u00a0 The house has been the venue for lectures, performances, staff retreats, board meetings (not only of TLC but of many other not for profit organizations \u2013 usually at no cost).\u00a0 The annual Christmas open house was held at Abkhazi for many years, as was the annual volunteer\u2019s lunch.\u00a0\u00a0 So many very productive meetings.\u00a0 So many great experiences.<\/p>\n I can never forget the many conversations I\u2019ve had in the garden with the dedicated volunteers.\u00a0\u00a0 Those who have sat in the cold at the gate to greet guests, those who come every week to dig and weed, those who served tea and who worked in the gift shop.\u00a0\u00a0 All were amazing people who gave so much to their community.<\/p>\n This garden has meant so much to so many people.\u00a0 I think of those who put up the mortgages \u2013 not to make money, but to help save the garden.\u00a0\u00a0 I know how much it meant to some of these folk.\u00a0\u00a0 I remember, in particular, one wonderful elderly lady, a lender, and regular visitor to the garden, who has since passed away.\u00a0 I remember her telling me how happy she was that the garden was to be protected, forever for everyone, and that she had been able to help.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Abkhazi Garden matters to me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Why Abkhazi Garden matters to me. – by Bill Turner I first saw Abkhazi Garden in 1999 shortly after it had been sold to a developer. \u00a0The development proposal, which had approvals from the City of Victoria, was to build 12 townhouses on the site of this unique and \u2026<\/p>\n