Passport Places in Bloom
April showers bring May flowers and the gardens at historic sites across Canada are teeming with vibrant colour, lush plants, and impeccable landscaping. For those looking to take in some gorgeous gardens this spring, learn about historic gardens and gardening techniques, or just looking to take in the warmer weather, these Passport Places are eager to welcome you.
Fulford Place, Brockville, ON
Courtesy of Ontario Heritage Trust.
The former home of Canadian businessman and politician Senator George Taylor Fulford, Fulford Place is a sprawling Edwardian mansion. While the house itself is certainly impressive with its 35 rooms and 20,000 square feet, the gardens here shine just as bright. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the Italianate garden is a rare example of a privately owned Olmsted-designed garden. The gardens, triton fountain, statuary, stone walls and gate were restored by the Ontario Heritage Trust with the support of generous donations.
Fun fact: the Olmsted Brothers also designed many high-profile projects like roadways in Yosemite Valley and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, park systems in Portland, Seattle and Cleveland, and they helped plan university campuses like Stanford University, Duke University and Brown University. Their father, Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. designed campuses like Cornell, Wellesley College, University of Chicago, and Yale University, as well as Central Park in Manhattan. Together, the Olmsted Brothers and their father are credited with over 300 designs!
Parkwood Estate, Oshawa, ON
Courtesy of Parkwood Estate.
The former residence of Samuel McLaughlin, the founder of General Motors Canada, Parkwood Estate is home to sprawling formal gardens and greenhouses that reflect the McLaughlin family’s interest in horticulture. They kept 24 gardeners on staff to maintain their eleven greenhouses and 4.8 hectares of elaborately designed grounds and gardens!
The gardens were designed to reference English and European gardens, but with a 20th-century twist. The gardens include the formal gardens, recreation areas, and farming space for growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The formal garden, designed by John Lyle between 1935 and 1936, was awarded with a bronze medal from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for its design.
The gardens at Parkwood may look familiar to film lovers… they feature in films like horror-flick Ready or Not and the Adam Sandler film Billy Madison.
Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens, Victoria, BC
Courtesy of Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens
Located in the Rock Bay Neighbourhood of Victoria (which was designed by the Olmsted Brothers!) Point Ellice House and Gardens is one of the oldest homes in Victoria and sits on the unceded territories of the Songhees and xʷsepsəm (Esquimalt) peoples, whose stewardship of this land continues today.
Today the grounds and gardens are a green haven in the middle of an urban environment. It is home to the largest stretch of undeveloped land along the Gorge Waterway and is part of the Victoria Harbor Migratory Bird Sanctuary, providing a habitat to birds, animals, insects, and native plants. The historic Kitchen Garden continues to grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers, and will soon include traditional Métis medicines. Point Ellice also keeps a seed library for teaching and reference.
If you’d like to grow your own piece of Point Ellice at home, the gift shop sells a number of seeds, including the famous heritage hollyhocks!
Kings Landing, Prince William, NB
Courtesy of Kings Landing
The 300-acre open air, 19th-century historic village is home to farm animals, flower and vegetable gardens, stunning scenery, and costumed characters. Explore the Ingraham flower garden at Kings Landing, take in the sights and sounds of the village, and learn about life and farming in the 19th century from some knowledgeable interpreters.
Toronto Botanical Garden, Toronto, ON
Courtesy of Toronto Botanical Gardens.
Beginning in 1817, the property that is now home to the Toronto Botanical Gardens was settled by Scottish miller Alexander Milne, whose family remained on the property for over 100 years. In 1944, businessman Ruper Edwards bought the property to create “a place in the country… with wide open spaces all around, with plenty of room to move and breathe.” Edwards constructed a glorious garden, and when the city began to expand towards the property he sold it to the Metro (Toronto) council. Edwards Gardens was opened to the public in 1956, with the Toronto Botanical gardens. Today the four-acre attraction features 17 themed gardens, including a learning garden that lets you get hands on with nature.
Fun fact: the main building, first opened in 1965, was designed by renowned architect Raymond Moriyama, who is also responsible for iconic designs like the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, and the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.
Lougheed House, Calgary, AB
Courtesy of Lougheed House.
Lougheed House is complemented by the lush and colourful Beaulieu Gardens made up of picnic pasture, formal gardens, and an intimate rose garden. The French beaulieu means beautiful place, and that’s exactly what this is. Today the gardens honour both their Victorian origins with formal beds and heritage plants as well as feature green space for modern-day enjoyment. The gardens are lovingly maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers for the over 90,000 people who visit them each year.
O’Keefe Ranch, Vernon, BC
Courtesy of Historic O’Keefe Ranch.
Historic O’Keefe Ranch began with the arrival of three cowboys driving cattle north – Cornelius O’Keefe, Thomas Greenhow and Thomas Wood. They each claimed 160 acres, and though Wood moves on, O’Keefe and Greenhow stayed and became the area’s earliest settlers. Their homesteads would thrive, and O’Keefe would build a mill, church, graveyard, general store, post office and blacksmith shop on his land, employing many people to help him run the ranch. Today, the ranch features a rose garden next to O’Keefe’s mansion and a heritage garden that showcases heritage and native plants from the area.
The above historic sites are part of the Trust’s Passport Places program, a National Trust membership benefit that provides free access to over 100 historic places in Canada, as well as 1000+ National Trust places abroad. Become a member today!