Secret Gardens: Permaculture Walking Tour

(4 reviews)

Naramata audio tour: Secret Gardens: Permaculture Walking Tour

This is a 2.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Naramata

Canada

Free

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Reviews

About the Tour

This looped walking tour leads you down secret back lanes, through community gardens and under an arboretum. You will discover how this Cittaslow community incorporates plant life into daily life, while exploring concepts like permaculture and xeriscaping.

This tour begins from the Garden Club bench at the south end of Wharf Park near the washrooms, and ends in the same place.
Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Explore beautiful back alleys and peek into hidden gardens
Learn gardening techniques and concepts such as permaculture, cation exchange, Xeriscaping, water conservation
Count tree species in a massive botanical arboretum
Collect and contribute seeds at the share library
Bring a little of Naramata's magic home to your own garden

This walking tour takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the syilx (Okanagan) people, who have resided here since time immemorial. We recognize, honour, and respect the syilx lands, and appreciate the opportunity to be in this special place. This tour references one of the red educational panels installed in Naramata, by the Penticton Indian Band and the Regional District of the Okanagan Similkameen.

This tour was narrated by Craig Henderson, written by Arnica Rowan, and produced by Terroir Consulting for Discover Naramata. Thanks to Destination BC, Wine Growers BC, the Naramata Bench Wineries Association, the Naramata Heritage Museum, and photographers Jon Adrian and Caillum Smith for the beautiful photographs. Thanks to Peach City Community Radio for providing a great recording studio.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

Tour Producer

Discover Naramata

27 tours

Naramata... a stunning agricultural landscape, world-class food and wine of the Naramata Bench, a charming village at the end of winding country road. This CittaSlow-certified community is Western Canada's most beloved, slow-paced, vacation destination. Featured in the New York Times, Monte Cristo, National Geographic, Dwell, and more, this breath-taking slice of the Okanagan Valley is yours to explore.

Discover Naramata is a non-profit, member-run Destination Marketing Organization for the community of Naramata, BC, Canada. We support the marketing and building of a destination recognized by those looking for an authentic, quality, slow travel experience and supports the community and people who make this unique destination special. Our society is governed by an industry-appointed Board of Directors and represents more than 80 businesses that comprise the local tourism economy.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport for this audio tour project.

The views, opinions, conclusions and/or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the author(s). These materials do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Government of British Columbia. The Government of British Columbia does not endorse, nor has it confirmed the validity of the information contained in, these materials.

Preview Location

Location 8

Tending to Tummies

Turn left on Ritchie Avenue and continue up the hill, straight on Ritchie Avenue.

Gardens in Naramata, whether they are public laneways, community projects, or private land, have multiple purposes: tending to the community, families, the spirit and the soul.

As there is ... Turn left on Ritchie Avenue and continue up the hill, straight on Ritchie Avenue.

Gardens in Naramata, whether they are public laneways, community projects, or private land, have multiple purposes: tending to the community, families, the spirit and the soul.

As there is a strong history of agriculture and self-reliance in the Naramata community, one of the primary purposes is tending to tummies - the production of food. As you walk up the hill, you will see many family gardens include vegetable plots, berry patches, and fruit and nut trees.

The NaramataSlow community group is part of the International CittaSlow Society, a movement founded in Italy that has spread across the globe. The main goal of the International CittaSlow Society is to promote the philosophy of Slow Food to communities, applying the concepts of ecogastronomy to the practice of everyday life. The idea of ecogastronomy is that food and human practices are interactive, and the practices of growing and preparing food can affect our communities, culture, society and economy. If we choose our food wisely, attend to how we spend, and strengthen our communities, we can support local social networks, and build a more sustainable future.

In practice, one of the ways the Naramata community nourishes itself is by encouraging local food production. There is a farmer's market held every summer Wednesday in Manitou Park, and there are farm stands spread throughout the Naramata Bench, where people can buy produce as well as honey, eggs, and other locally grown food directly from the producers. Master gardeners and engaged amateur gardeners hold workshops, to teach people about gardening practices such as composting and co-planting. And there are other community projects that you will see later on this tour, to encourage children to grow their own food for school lunches, and families to sustain one another.

In British Columbia, a wide range of agricultural crops - over 200 of them - are grown, but we don't produce large volumes of commodities. To feed our families, British Columbians import 39% of our food internationally, 26% from other provinces, and 34% of our food is grown or raised in BC. Initiatives like farmer's markets, community gardens and empowering people to grow their own food promote self reliance, with the intent of increasing food security in BC's rural communities, like Naramata.

As you walk along the street, see how many different crops of berries, fruits, vegetables you can see peeking out from Naramatian family gardens.

Continue up the hill, straight on Ritchie Avenue. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Wharf Park
Anna Avenue
Neverland Tea Cottage Naramata
Spirit Park
Rocky's Real Things Pizza Naramata
Naramata Pub & Grill
Naramata Cemetery
Naramata Centre
Naramata Library | ORL Branch
Naramata Inn
The Restaurant at Naramata Inn
Anna Avenue Garden
Naramata Cemetery Tranquility Garden
Naramata Centre Permaculture Garden

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Ritchie Ave, Naramata, BC V0H 1Z1, Canada
Total distance

4km
Final location
1 St, Naramata, BC V0H 1Z1, Canada
Distance back to start location

131.14m

Directions to Starting Point

Launch your tour from the Garden Club bench at the south end of Wharf Park. Parking is available in the Wharf Park parking lot on1st Street.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are many great spots along the tour to spend a few tranquil moments.

Best time of day

Naramata's gardens are beautiful year round, but if possible, explore during the spring, summer or autumn. Better yet, do the tour three times, so you can see the village in each of its resplendent seasons.

Precautions

Naramata is a quiet village without sidewalks. This tour leads you like a local, walking on the roads. Please take care with cars, especially at dawn and dusk.

This tour normally goes through the Naramata Elementary School grounds. If you are taking the tour when school is in session, a detour has been provided.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

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Questions and Reviews

4.8 / 5

4 Ratings

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Secret Gardens: Permaculture Walking Tour

About the Tour

Tour Producer

Discover Naramata

Preview Location

Location 8

Tending to Tummies

How VoiceMap Works

Major Landmarks

Wharf Park

Anna Avenue

Neverland Tea Cottage Naramata

Spirit Park

Rocky's Real Things Pizza Naramata

Naramata Pub & Grill

Naramata Cemetery

Naramata Centre

Naramata Library | ORL Branch

Naramata Inn

The Restaurant at Naramata Inn

Anna Avenue Garden

Naramata Cemetery Tranquility Garden

Naramata Centre Permaculture Garden