Weather conditions in Manitoba are always fairly consistent -- extremes are the order of the day.
Gardeners may grumble about the cool, damp spring, but the gardens themselves are thriving following a relatively mild winter with plenty of snow cover, essential to ensuring the survival of both hardy and tender perennials.
Each year there are an abundance of garden tours taking place in communities throughout our province. Tickets are always snapped up quickly because every gardener knows that each tour offers a wonderful opportunity to step into another gardener's hidden paradise, full of intriguing plants, stunning vistas and creative ideas.
Let's begin in Churchill where Diane Erickson and her husband Bill offer tours of the Boreal Gardens through July and August. About a mile from the town of Churchill on 36 acres of rock and muskeg, visitors are led on a guided tour through an experimental Arctic research project consisting of greenhouses and a unique structure called SUPPERTUNNEL, where a variety of produce and bedding plants are grown.
Crowberry jam, anyone? Berries, including gooseberries, red currants and cloudberries, are picked at the Boreal Gardens and sold at the Gift Shop in the Eskimo Museum nearby. Tours are offered Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. or other times by appointment. Contact Diane at (204) 675-8866 for more details.
Gardens lend themselves to artistic expression, and none more so than Val Thompson's five lush acres near Birtle.
Here, visitors can walk on lemon-scented thyme paths and discover a variety of garden types, including the vibrant colors of a Mediterranean garden and the peaceful tranquility of a Japanese one, as well as a exuberant wildflowers, peonies, herbs and sunken rose garden planted with marvellously scented David Austin and old English roses.
On July 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Val's acreage will be the feature garden in the "Gallery in the Garden" event taking place at private and community gardens near Birtle. Visitors can tour at their own pace with the option of enjoying tea and dessert at the Secret Garden Tea Room. The cost is $30. The bus tour is optional and an additional $12. Email GalleryInTheGarden2011@gmail.com or call (204) 842-3602.
Another western Manitoba garden tour that has enjoyed tremendous success is the season-long self-guided tour of gardens along Highway 45. These include Cottage Lane Gardens, inspired by the cottage gardens of England, as well as Heavenscape Gardens, situated on a hill, affording dramatic views of the Birdtail Valley. For more details visit www.gardenswestmb.cimnet.ca.
The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Daytime Garden Tour will showcase 12 city gardens on Saturday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $35. Gardens range from prairie standards and old-fashioned favourites to an exotic garden with a waterfall.
The Evening Garden Gala on June 29 will take visitors through three spectacular gardens. Ticket price is $135, or $220 for a couple, and includes exhilarating performances by the WSO in each of the gardens as well as fabulous food and even champagne. Access to the Daytime Garden Tour is also included. For information and tickets, contact the WSO box office at 949-3999 or www.wso.ca.
Do all roads lead to Beausejour? Each summer, many garden clubs organize excursions to the Beausejour Daylily Gardens, recognized as the coldest American Hemerocallis Society Display Garden on the planet. Of course, it will be warm and inviting for visitors from across the province and beyond.
The Friends of the Daylily Gardens will offer five guided tours of the gardens beginning June 24. Tours include the historical Glass Factory and Train Whistle Park, as well as St. Mary Church which features Leo Mol paintings. Special performances on July 22 by the Glenaura Pipes & Drums and visits to the Farmers Market make Beausejour a popular destination in the summer months. The $25 fee for each trip includes all stops and lunch. Call 268-3950.
The Friends of Gardens Manitoba (formerly Friends of the Assiniboine Park Conservatory) invite garden enthusiasts to join them in an excursion to Steinbach on July 9, where eight beautiful country gardens will be highlighted. Self-drive tour tickets or bus tour tickets are available.
The Friends will also travel to Beausejour on July 16 for a visit to seven gardens and the Daylily Garden. On July 27, the Friends will host a garden tour in Central and West Winnipeg. One of the gardens has been certified by five North American organizations and another is an award-winning garden. Ticket price includes a garden party at the Living Prairie Museum. Self-drive tours are $20 each, or all three for $50. Call 944-9478 or visit www.gardensmanitoba.com.
Have a passion for nature in tranquil settings? Nature Manitoba will feature eight private gardens in south Winnipeg on July 23. Tickets are available at Nature Manitoba's office (943-9029) or visit www.naturemanitoba.ca.
The Garden Club of Carman will hold their garden tour on July 16. Visit a total of six gardens including a beautiful cottage garden in the countryside. Registration starts at 1 p.m. at Ryall Park in downtown Carman.
Iris enthusiasts will be delighted to know that Manitoba has one of only six Canadian iris display gardens sanctioned by the Median Iris Society, a branch of the American Iris Society.
Owner Sandy Eggertson invites visitors to tour her gardens in St. Andrews, which feature glorious iris as well as asiatics, trumpets, martagons, daylilies, hosta and perennials. Visit www.merlebleu.net and click on "contact form" to book your tour.
Colleen Zacharias is president of the Friends of Gardens Manitoba and co-chair of The Prairie Garden, Western Canada's only gardening annual since 1937.
