Friends of Summerland Ornamental Gardens

05/31/2026

We are excited to have Jason Crouch from Fraser Valley Rose Farm joining us on June 20 for the Okanagan Rose Festival. If you haven't seen his You Tube channel check it out; Jason knows roses and there's a ton of great information within his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/c/FraserValleyRoseFarm

Here's what Jason has to say about the event-from his latest newsletter:

I’m really looking forward to heading up to the Okanagan for the Summerland Festival of Roses this June. I’m really excited to be part of it, and I’ll be bringing a solid selection of own-root roses for sale.

If you’re a regional rose gardener, this is an event you’ll want to check out. The Summerland Ornamental Gardens is a beautiful heritage site—originally a 1916 federal agricultural research station—and they maintain an incredible collection of David Austin and hardy Canadian roses.

It’s going to be a great day with multiple speakers, including myself and the garden’s curator, doing outdoor talks and hands-on demonstrations covering propagation, irrigation, and rose care. They’ll also be running guided tours of the rose collections. Advance registration encouraged at: [email protected]

I'm more than a little enthusiastic about growing roses and other cool, useful plants. Lately, we've been adding to our assortment of unusual ornamentals and permaculture plants. As we develop our little nursery, I'll post some videos about our roses, growing topics, and anything that relates to sta...

05/28/2026

If you haven't been for a walk in the Ornamental Gardens lately, come by and see everything in full bloom. Most people walk around the great lawns and around the Superintendent's house. Next time, start at the rose garden with the arbor by the road and wind your way down the paths towards the xeriscape area. There is lots to see.
Photos 📷 May, 2026.

05/28/2026

Thanks for the shout out!

05/25/2026

Come out to the gardens on Saturday, June 20th, during our Okanagan Festival of Roses. Listen to an informative talk by our resident rosarian, Rick Sauder. There will also be a special guest from Fraser Valley Rose Farm, Jason Crouch. He will have roses for sale. There will also be tours of the Ornamental Gardens three rose gardens. Bring a picnic and enjoy the day.

05/24/2026

Fothergilla major is also known as Mountain Witch Alder. This deciduous shrub is slow growing and produces beautiful, fragrant bottlebrush like white flowers in the spring. It can grow 180-300cm (6-10 ft) and spread 150-270 cm (5-9 ft) and likes full-sun to partial-sun. Low maintenance. This particular shrub is behind the bed of Lady's Mantle. The genus name honours Dr. John Fothergill (1712-1780), an English physician and botanist who grew plants from around the world in his London garden. Photos 📷 taken May, 2026

05/22/2026

There are three different rose gardens at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens and you'll be able to tour all three with members of our dedicated rose team during the Okanagan Rose Festival on June 20. Talks, tours, roses for sale and a chance to talk about the garden's most iconic shrub; it all happens next month. Check out summerlandgardens.org for more information and register at [email protected].

05/18/2026

Antelope bitterbrush is the common name for Purshia tridentata. You might have seen these shrubs along the road coming up to the gardens and in the xeriscape area. These shrubs usually grow 122-152 cm (4-5') high, but can reach 366 cm (12'). It belongs to the Rosaceae family and loves full sun. It is a good shrub for erosion control and is drought tolerant. Photos 📷 May, 2026
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05/18/2026

The May long weekend has almost passed with its typical blend of showers, breezes and sunny breaks. The Gardens are looking fabulous right now and starting tomorrow (Tuesday, May 19) hours will be expanding to 8 am to 8 pm daily. Here’s an insider tip-evenings are exceptionally beautiful.

05/13/2026

Everything will be coming up roses on Saturday, June 20 during our Okanagan Festival of Roses! Informative talks from our resident rosarian Rick Sauder and special guest Jason Crouch from Fraser Valley Rose Farm. Jason's You Tube channel has 294,000 subscribers! Check out the link in the comments-Jason really knows roses. He'll have roses for sale, we'll be offering tours of the three rose gardens situated within the Ornamental Gardens and you're invited to bring a picnic and spend the day with us. Please register at [email protected].

05/11/2026

Mukdenia rossii 'Karasuba' Crimson Fan sounds like a food dish. Alas, it is a herbaceous perennial you will find in the shade garden. Bloom time is April to May and produces delicate white, star-shaped flowers. Does well in zones 4-9 and spreads over time by short creeping rhizomes. The leaves develop tints of red in the fall. Photos 📷 April, 2026