Kootenay Gardening - Trail Garden Tour

	Each year Communities in Bloom, the national volunteer organization devoted to the beautification of Canadian cities, holds a competition in which the participating communities across Canada are evaluated on criteria such as landscape, floral displays, turf and groundcovers, overall tidiness, etc. Not everyone knows that the City of Trail, West Kootenay, BC, was the proud National Winner of the Communities in Bloom competition in the category of cities with a population under 10,000 twice, in 2006 and again in 2010!	Flowers in containers
Vast lawns with borders filled with colours and fragrances ...

Trail in Bloom Garden Tours are the occasion for the general public to see the reasons for that.

The tours are an initiative of Trail Community in Bloom and are sponsored by Teck Metals Ltd.

Each tour is preceded by the garden contest.

There are many categories in which to compete: beds and borders, fruit and vegetables, newly established garden, first time entry garden, specialty garden (featuring special garden structures like pond, gazebo, etc.), garden architecture and Winner of Winners' Circle. There are also awards for the most beautiful block in the community and the nicest commercial lot. In 2010 several new categories were introduced such as best rose garden, patios and terraces and rock gardens.

Participating gardens are evaluated by a group of selected by the Trail CiB committee outside judges, horticulturalists and garden experts. The best gardens in each category are chosen for the show.

Backyards of duplexes transformed into tiny paradises

In 2010 there were 25 gardens big and small on the tour, scattered all around the town, filled with colours, shapes and fragrances, everyone unique in design and plant preferences. From vast lawns with lush, colourful borders, to tiny 7 or so meters (20 feet) wide and long paradises at the back of duplexes. There were vegetable gardens, flower gardens, mixed gardens, fruit trees, shrubberies filled with roses, plants in containers... The variety of plants mind boggling. There were terraces, berms, borders, gazebos, arbours, interesting water features, all kinds of garden decorations.

Those visitors who wanted a short break in the tour, get refreshed with cold drinks and enjoy cool breeze from the river were welcome to the tea at the Teck Guest House on the banks of the mighty Columbia river.

There were only two things to complain about. One, that usually there was no host around to talk to and ask questions, and second, that there were too many gardens on the show. I visited only half of them, there was not enough time to see them all. Here they are ...


Unusual plants Carolina Spice Bush	Interesting water features

Flower gardens



Cornucopia of colours	Beautiful containers

Vegetable gardens



Potato plants mixed with flowers	Tomatoes growing in bordered beds


Big Zucchini and a lot of Dill	Lush vegetable garden with Beans and Broad Beans


My favourite



I loved this tiny plot in the center of Trail, literally packed with healthy plants	Every tiny bit of soil was filled with colours and shapes ... Roses, at the bottom-right early Phloxes


Even the heat loving Kalanchoe appreciates some shade during hot summer days ...	A tiny patio with a "jungle" of plants growing in containers