Words Jo Barnes
Photos Whale Tail Farm
It’s spring and all sorts of things are sprouting out of the soil on the farm. Lavender, sage, whale tail, yarrow, echinacea, wait back up a bit … did I hear you say whale tail?!
Owned by Ron and Marilyn Isaak and Cory and Corinne Bargen, Whale Tail Farm, along Lochside Drive, grows and markets over 40 drought-tolerant, deer-resistant perennials and is increasingly garnering attention for the works of art in the shape of huge metallic whale’s tails that decorate the property.
“There’s a real market for perennials. People are looking for these kinds of plants,” shares Ron. “As for the whale tails, there are three of them here made by a friend of ours, Ron Stephens, who is a metal sculptor in Aldergrove. The whale tails are on an angle compared to the road, so they’re easy to see.”
“The art piece caught our attention,” adds Marilyn. “People notice them. It makes our place easy to identify.”
The whale tails are situated in the display garden near the farm entranceway. The garden offers a way for customers to see the height, colour and appearance of perennials so that they can better plan out their garden. “Our display garden is 3,000 square feet. There is five inches of gravel with soil underneath, and this reduces weeds,” outlines Ron. “This garden shows the plants at the mature stage. We sell most of these directly to homeowners.”
The perennials are marketed as deer-resistant and drought-tolerant, both properties that many in the community are considering when choosing plants for their gardens. “Our perennials tend to be deer-resistant. For example, deer don’t typically eat yarrow, lavender or sage,” relates Ron.
Inventory is sourced from a mainland wholesaler and arrives at the farm as plugs, or young rooted plants that are ready to be transplanted. “We buy plugs and repot them in one-gallon containers for customers to purchase,” says Ron.
Plants are marketed through Facebook Marketplace and Instagram and response has been positive. “We have a great response from customers.
They like buying directly from a grower,” comments Ron. “We have many return customers who are trying out new things in their yard.”
The farm is very much a family venture, and tasks are balanced alongside other work commitments. Ron, who has been designing and making custom cabinets through his company Wesley Ellen, partners with Corinne to pot and tend the perennials. Corinne, a postpartum doula and childbirth educator, handles marketing and sales and tends the perennials as well as dahlias from which she creates bouquets for sale. Marilyn manages the bookkeeping and background details such as organizing last year’s highly successful Market Day which featured farm perennial sales as well as a variety of products from 14 other community vendors.
Whale Tail is not only a product source, but also a place to come for gardening tips. “We really enjoy connecting with people,” relates Ron. “Often people want advice about which plants might be suitable to grow and how best to grow them. We are happy to give ideas.”
Gardening and nursery activities are not new to Ron and Marilyn. Years ago, they lived in Abbotsford where they ran a nursery operation for a couple of years. “I had enough knowledge to get started here,” says Ron. “I also have a friend on the mainland, the past owner of Valley Brook Gardens, and I gained knowledge from him”.
Finding the property and starting the farm happened at an opportune time. “Our kids were already living here,” says Ron. “This property came up, and we decided to go in on it together, to pool our resources and all live on the property.”
Since buying the land, new structures have been built including the main residential home with attached cottage and a two-storey building that houses workshop space and an upper floor games room. Construction took place during the pandemic time period which was somewhat stressful but perhaps timely too. “We combined everybody at the right time,” says Marilyn. “We were in our own bubble during Covid.”
Like any plant operation, there are busy times and steady tasks involved, but the work brings satisfaction. “The most challenging part is finding time to do everything,” says Corinne. “But I love seeing all the pollinators busy on the plants on our property from early spring all the way into late fall.”
Ron adds: “Marilyn and I are not completely retired. I still do work in the winter for Wesley Ellen and leave summer for doing the tasks here at the farm. I really like connecting with people who come to the farm and visiting with them.”
Those visiting this Saanichton farm come for the specialized plants or maybe some advice. In either case, they can find both with the added bonus of a little “tail” of West Coast whimsy.
Instagram@whale.tail.farm
