Meet the caretakers behind this iconic downtown garden

Nestled in the heart of downtown Kelowna is the Kasugai gardens, a traditional style Japanese garden meant to symbolize the friendship between Kelowna and its Japanese sister city, Kasugai.

After the long winter it opens to the public on Saturday.

Caring for the garden is no simple task, but for City of Kelowna groundsperson Angelina Huber, it’s fulfilling.

“This is a huge passion of mine; gardening, pruning, Japanese style gardens,” Huber told Kelowna10. “I've been a gardener for probably nine years, and I was really excited to take over Kasugai last June.”

Huber and her team have been working tirelessly for months getting the park ready for its reopening.

On their last day of preparation, they were busy spreading fresh mulch all over the garden beds.

She believes all the hard work is well worth because of the enjoyment it gives the public.

“I love the fact that people come in here and the second they step in they go, ‘wow, like it's so beautiful in here. It's so Zen. Like, look at the fish,” she said. “It's a very happy, calm place to be, especially in a busy downtown Kelowna area, to be able to pop in to a little secret garden.”

Huber urges the public to provide insight on what they enjoyed or what needs to be improved in the space, so she and her team have a clear idea of what their focus should be.

“Visit the gardens, leave some reviews if you can,” she explained. “The city loves the feedback.”

Starting on March 15th Kasugai Gardens will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.