Our figs.
Desert King
The Desert King Fig is a standout variety and the most common variety of fig we have. With a thick green skin with many small yellow specks that hides a surprisingly vivid pink-red strawberry flesh with a rich sweet flavour, dripping with sweet juice.
Italian Honey.
The Italian Honey Fig, also known as Lattarulla or Blanche, has yellow green skin and amber coloured flesh with a sweet honey like flavour. Mild and floral, with notes of melon and syrup, they’re incredibly refreshing and light on the palate. About a fifth of our trees are Italian Honey Fig.
Black Mission.
The Black Mission Fig has deep purple to black skin and dark red-purple flesh with a jammy, creamy texture, notes of strawberry, carmel and plum that is more rich, slightly more chewy with an earthy finish, less juicy and less sweet. The seeds are just slightly more noticeable. Size is smaller than Desert King or Italian Honey. We have a small number of black mission fig trees.
Eating figs.
The best way to enjoy figs is fresh, at room temperature or warm from the tree, for peak flavor and juiciness. You can also dehydrate thin slices for longer storage, but they become chewier and less vibrant. If you are new to fresh figs, take a bite and savor the juicy sweetness, rich flavor, and soft seeds. Perfectly ripe figs are plump and tender. Eat the whole fruit, using the stem as a natural handle. For a tasty appetizer, halve fresh figs, top with Brie, and warm until the cheese melts.
Storage of figs.
Figs are picked only when they are fully ripe and very soft, which means they must be handled with the utmost care and gentleness. Unfortunately, it is all too common for others to pick them prematurely, before they reach full ripeness, so that they can better withstand shipping, storage, and handling while still looking attractive. However, these underripe figs tend to have a poor taste, as unripe figs never truly ripen once they have been picked.
Once harvested, figs can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator to extend their freshness, but it's always best to let them come to room temperature before eating to enjoy their full flavor and sweetness.
Growing and handling of our figs.
We are located in Saanich beside the beautiful Elk Lake on Brookleigh Road. Our fig trees are never sprayed with pesticides, and fortunately, figs are generally not troubled by insects, resulting in fruit with a virtually unblemished and pristine appearance.
Our fig orchard consists of a charming mix of very mature trees along with some younger ones, all producing the same delicious and high-quality fruit. The trees are carefully managed with regular drip irrigation, generous mulch application, and the orchard is kept meticulously clean throughout the growing season. Each year, there is extensive and labor-intensive pruning required to maintain the health and productivity of the trees.
Harvesting is done with great care—the stems are carefully cut to avoid bruising the delicate figs, and each fig is gently laid in its own spot on the picking tray to preserve their perfect shape. Every day during the harvest season, the fig orchard must be picked promptly of ripe fruit to ensure the maximum flavor and sweetness while also helping to avoid the presence of wasps.
Date of harvest.
Figs are generally quite reliable to ripen around the first two weeks of August each year. However, unusually warm or cool weather during spring and early summer can cause the harvest to come a little earlier or later, though this shift is usually only by a few days.
To keep you well-informed, this website will be regularly updated to provide notice a few days before the start and end of fig sales, as well as announcements marking the beginning and conclusion of the fig season.
Fig sales - updated for 2025
All fig sales are from our roadside driveway fruit stand. We aim to stock the stand every day at about 9am and restock as the daily inventory allows until they are all gone until tomorrow. Figs are limited in number the first few and last few days of the season and early sell out is to be expected. Our stand is emptied soon after 7pm.
Payment can be made by cash directly at the fruit stand or, new this year, conveniently through e-transfer to brookleighfarmandgarden@gmail.com. When sending your e-transfer, please include a comment specifying the number and size of fig containers you wish to purchase. Auto deposit is enabled, so no password is required for this transaction.
Our pricing is as follows:
$10 for a pint, containing approximately 6 fresh figs.
$20 for a No. 3 container, which holds around 14 figs.
For larger orders or special requests, we offer sales by appointment only. Please be sure to send your email request at least one day in advance to brookleighfarmandgardens@gmail.com.
We also offer trays of figs at these rates:
$65 for a tray with approximately 55 or more figs.
$35 for a tray of slightly blemished figs, which may have bird or wasp bites or be over-ripe. These are excellent for processing, cooking, or dehydrating and are available in limited quantities.
Finding our Fruit Stand
We are located at:
458 Brookleigh Road, Victoria, BC. – opposite the Elk Lake public boat launch
From the Pat Bay Highway #17, head west at the Sayward light intersection where the Petrocan and Chevron gas stations are located. Follow the road maybe 500 ft. as it turns and then make a right hand turn west onto Brookleigh Road. We are 2 km from the highway inside the park where Brookleigh Road becomes very twisty. We have a double wide large black metal gate with fruit stand on your right and if you see the boat launch on your left, you have gone 50 ft too far.
From Oldfield Road, turn east onto Brookleigh Road. You will pass a very small road on the right and on the left in the hairpin turns. Just after the boat launch on your right you will see our double wide large black metal gate with fruit stand on your left.