Jacqui Laporte and John Empson in Auburn, Ont., make a habit of opening their garden to strangers. Dubbed “Escape from Chaos,” it’s one of the 25 properties that form Discover the Gardens of Huron Perth, this year, part of a growing trend nationally of putting garden routes on a regional map and promoting the route as a tourist destination. Some gardens are public, others … [Read more...] about Take a garden route to tour a region
public gardens
The best of Canada Garden Route tour
Garden Making’s coast-to-coast tour of the Canada Garden Route began in mid-May on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and ended a month and a half later in St. John’s, Newfoundland. And what an exciting, whirlwind trip it was! People ask me, “What was the best part of the trip?” And honestly, there were so many “bests” I thought the only way to answer the question was to jot … [Read more...] about The best of Canada Garden Route tour
Much to see at Newfoundland’s MUN Botanical Garden
When I arrived in St. John’s at the end of June, Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden Director Liz Klose handed me a fleece jacket—and with temperatures hovering around 10ºC, it was a cozy comfort! I quickly learned that it was “Junuary” and the harbingers of this cool weather, small smelt-like fish called capelin, were running. Welcome to Newfoundland! A … [Read more...] about Much to see at Newfoundland’s MUN Botanical Garden
A Canadian First! Halifax Public Gardens
If the ornamental wrought-iron gates aren’t enough of a clue that this is a historic garden, then the serpentine “broderie”-patterned annual beds that snake through the lawns might give it away. But what will clinch it for sure, are the 32 carpet beds surrounding the beautifully restored Victorian bandstand that sits at the heart of the Halifax Public Gardens, Canada's first … [Read more...] about A Canadian First! Halifax Public Gardens
Past and present at Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
When I first heard about Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, I was intrigued by its collections of heirloom roses, the Acadian marshes and the varieties of apple trees settlers once grew. But how would all this horticultural history be displayed, I wondered? Would I be greeted by costumed docents ready to fill me in on 17th-century life in Nova Scotia? What I discovered was a … [Read more...] about Past and present at Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
