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The Abkhazi Garden was created in 
The garden is approximately one acre and features pathways of crushed gravel and stone paths that wind their way under
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The Abkhazi Garden was created in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
, on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
, in 1946 by Prince and Princess Abkhazi. The garden is known as 'the garden that love built' and was developed by Prince Nicolas Abkhazi and Princess Marjorie ('Peggy') Abkhazi (born Marjorie Mable Jane Carter, later Marjorie Mable Jane Pemberton-Carter) over the decades that they owned the property on Fairfield Road.
Prince Nicolas Abkhazi fled Georgia for France soon after the Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
where he first met Peggy in 1922. During World War Two
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
he joined the French army and was captured as a prisoner of war by the Germans. Peggy meanwhile had returned to Shanghai where she was interned by the Japanese from 1943 too 1945. They were reunited in New York in 1946 and later moved to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where they remained the rest of their lives. Not long after their deaths the garden was purchased by The Land Conservancy of British Columbia
The Land Conservancy of British Columbia is a not-for-profit, charitable land trust based in British Columbia, Canada.
The purpose of the Society is to protect plants, animals, natural communities and landscape features that represent diversity o ...
with plans to steward the land as a garden in perpetuity to memorialize and share the story of the Prince and Princess Abkhazi.
The garden is approximately one acre and features pathways of crushed gravel and stone paths that wind their way under rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
plants with differing coloured flowers that have grown to the size of trees. Under the rhododendrons grow smaller flowers, ferns and other shade tolerant plants. In the centre of the garden is a tea house and gift shop.
A proposal was submitted in March 2022 to protect the garden by transferring the denser zoning of the property to a nearby property and submission of a request to officially recognize the property as a heritage property in the city of Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. This is after the city tried to impose a heritage designation that met resistance from The Land Conservancy of British Columbia while it underwent restructuring and sought to sell some properties to maintain financial stability. The Land Conservancy was later able to sell the parking spot that had been heritage designated by the city on Foul Bay Road and no longer required creditor protection by 2017. The fee to enter the Abkhazi garden is by a suggested donation of ten dollars.
References
External links
Curious lives harmonious gardens
digital collection from the
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...
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Gardens in Canada