Immigrant VIP
The Wildlings Resort is a perfect place to go botanizing; and that’s exactly what I did this past weekend.
When your boss invites you to a company weekend getaway and offers you a cabin right on the lake- the closest to VIP status I will get- you have to say yes. So that’s why I found myself at Wildlings Resort. The resort sits right on Surrey Lake, off the Coquihalla highway, roughly halfway between Merritt and Kamloops, British Columbia.
The resort sports a number of rustic cabins, equally rustic outhouses and also proper washrooms and showers. My little cabin is meters away from the lake and, sadly, only meters away from our company’s staging area. This meant that I was subjected to bad rap music and, I strongly suspect, many of my co-workers relieved themselves against the walls of my cabin.
The inside sports a table and chairs, bed, gas stove and a wood stove. I would have loved to try the wood stove but it wasn’t cold enough at night. I also found a few old books on the bookshelf and used them, without permission, to press the plants I collected at the resort.
Activities
There is lots to do at the resort. You can rent paddle boards; and boats for trout fishing. I understand the lake is stocked with trout but don’t expect to feed your family with your catch. All of the boats are battery powered which is perfect.
You can also go horseback riding, if you like.
Another perfect activity is botanizing! My aim was to take a few walks around and note what plants were on site. Since I don’t own a plant press, I poached an old book on dress making from the shelf in my cabin, and stuffed its dusty pages with plants.
In this blog, I will introduce you to five wild plants I found on site and really liked. Before you visit the resort, get a copy of “Plants of the inland northwest and southern interior British Columbia” by Parish (Lone Pine). It’s well worth the $30.
My unofficial flora guide to the Wildlings Resort will come out soon in digital format and for free. Watch for it; and book your stay at the resort.
Five plants I like
I knew Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) right away. It’s an aggressive species; and also very attractive. It’s a happy looking flower. I never get tired of looking at it.
This plant was new to me: Strawberry-blite (Chenopodium capitatum). The flowers are so tightly packed, they give the plant a fleshy look. According to the book I mentioned above, you can use the plant as a substitute for make-up.
This plant was also new to me: Black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata). Involucre refers to a structure partially covering a flower or seed and here it’s the purple structures above the black berries.
I also knew this wildflower: the common red paintbrush (Castilleja miniata). It really looks like a paintbrush and it brightens up the summer landscape.
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I didn’t expect to see a water lily in the lagoon just outside my cabin door. That was a bonus. I knew it was a water lily but I had to look up the botanical name Nuphar polysepalum. Unfortunately, the flower never opened up.
Come stay!
I highly recommend staying at Wildlings Resort. You can hike, paddle board, take out a boat for trout fishing or go horseback riding. But, just as fun, if not more so, is botanizing at the resort. Just go for a quick walk and you’ll discover plenty of wildflowers. Most of them come with interesting stories or facts. They’re all there for you to discover, especially in summer. Book your stay and bring a plant press.
