Vancouver, WA

The garden at Fort Vancouver is a heritage garden, meaning that it contains plants that we would have seen here when the fort was in operation in 1845. Notice the arch over the entrance to the garden and the snowball bushes on either side of it. Snowball bushes are European, and would have been brought by ship from England—a journey that took the better part of a year.
I’m glad we planned ahead for the weather. If it’s sunny, blocker is a must, but our jackets are important, too; the wind can pick up without much warning. Comfy shoes are good no matter what the weather, of course, as well as a bottle of water. We’re ready for anything, so this ought to be a great outing, especially for the kids, since there’s lots of room to run around, and no one has to be quiet.

See those climbing frames on either side of the walk? Oops, maybe I should say, plant climbing frames—they’re not strong enough for people to climb, not even little people! There are green peas planted around the bases, which will climb up the frames and be easier to pick when they ripen.

Those wagon wheel shaped beds behind the climbing frames are herb gardens. Some of the herbs are for cooking, but many would be used by the doctor as herbal cures, since requests for medicines could be sent to England only by sailing ship. A ship carrying the request took about a year just to get there, and the medicine took another year to get back.
Some of the herbs here in these wagon wheel beds are barely coming up and others are perennials, planted years ago and already blooming.

Those bushes following the east fence down toward the fort are old-fashioned roses, the only roses around in 1845. We don’t see them as often now, though. They’ll bloom soon; won’t they be beautiful!
As we walk the path bisecting the garden, we come to the vegetables: squash, pumpkins, and cabbage, for example.

Then fruit: look at that huge and healthy rhubarb plant! There are a few grape vines and several black current bushes, too.
That wasn’t the only fruit, though. Outside the garden, to the west across the main road leading from the parking lot to the gate of the fort, is an orchard. In 1845, this was the first fruit orchard in the Northwest, and had apple, cherry, peach, pear, and plum trees. The land around the fort was planted with larger crops of grains and beans, too. Right now, though, we’re in what might be called the fort’s “kitchen garden.”

Notice that pergola, and the plants climbing on it? Those are hops. They would have been planted so the inhabitants of the fort didn’t need to send to England for beer. They were micro-brewers!

At this end of the garden is a pleasant area with benches, where you can sit and watch everything burst into bloom. There are arches with roses growing on them, and lilacs, which are already blooming, and beautiful.

This little spot is the perfect end to our little stroll down this 1845-era gardener’s memory lane. The last of the rose-covered arches leads us out of the garden and toward Fort Vancouver itself.
There is no entry fee for the garden, unlike the fort itself (and that’s a whole other visit, there’s so much to see). The garden is easy to find, too. From I-5, head east on Mill Plain to Fort Vancouver Way, then turn right (that’s south), and then left (that’s east) on 5th street. The parking area is on your right. Or go toGooglemaps
Can’t wait to come back and see everything in bloom!