Countryside Tours in the Fraser Valley

Credit: Christina Symons

Harvest season is the best time to take a tour in the Fraser Valley near Harrison Hot Springs

Circle round, gardeners – we’re celebrating the harvest haul by heading into the Fraser Valley farm country with a rest stop to soak our weary bones at Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa.

Circle Farm Tours are free, self-guided tours of farms, markets and gardens throughout the Fraser Valley. Our tour features the District of Kent, including the communities of Agassiz and Harrison Mills – some of the most pastoral farmland in the province – about a 90-minute drive east of Vancouver, near Hope, B.C.
 

Out and About in the Fraser Valley

Once in Kent, just follow your nose to Limbert Mountain Farm and take a guided herb walk. The farm features fragrant, organically grown herbs, potted plants, specialty foods and seasonal produce. In the barn, a boutique will tempt you with a charming selection of rustic and artisan home and garden wares. Hungry yet? Up the road, the Farm House Natural Cheeses shop offers delectable cow and goat dairy cheese products and Italian ice cream to snack on.

Nearby, don’t miss The Back Porch, an eclectic garden décor shop and artisan studio featuring country pottery, handmade basketry, antiques and repurposed collectibles, such as garden gates made from iron headboards. What’s more, they sell fresh coffee beans roasted in a circa 1919 Flame Roaster, as well as Russian red garlic, grown onsite.
 

Nuts for Hazelnuts!

Nuts! If you love them, you must stop by Canadian Hazelnut, a 60-acre organic hazelnut farm and store. Enjoy fresh, roasted, candied and chocolate-covered hazelnuts, along with fresh-baked tarts, nut flour and oil. Take a self-guided orchard walk or pick your own hazelnuts during the month of October. You might be inspired to grow culinary hazelnuts in your own garden.

Harvest is a time for celebration and reflection, so the last stop is Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa. Its tranquil, steamy mineral pools surrounded by idyllic paths and gardens are the perfect place to contemplate all that you’ve discovered, or to plan your next gardening getaway.
 

Circle Farm Tour

Visit www.circlefarmtour.ca for maps and tours throughout the Fraser Valley region.
 

Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa

www.harrisonresort.com or 1-800-663-2266 for information and reservations.

Writer and photographer Christina Symons delights in capturing stories and images about homes and gardens, design and lifestyles.

Growing hazelnuts

Inspired by the bounty of B.C. hazelnuts (also known as filberts) on this trip? If you have the patience and room, you can grow them in your garden, but there are a few things you should know.

First, hazelnuts require cross-pollination to fruit and produce nuts, so you need at least two varieties on the same property in order to be successful. Second, hazelnuts are an investment in time, taking between 12 and 20 years to produce a decent harvest. But it’s worth the effort! Hazelnuts are delicious roasted and on their own, in baking, or paired with chocolate and coffee. You can find hazelnut trees for sale at Country Garden Centre at Minter Gardens in Chilliwack.

Visit www.mintergardens.com or call 1-800-661-3919 for information.