Following breakfast, VanRamblings took a stroll with Corinne along the boardwalk, towards the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.
The gardens were planned in the 1970s to celebrate the Annapolis Valley’s rich heritage. Originally a French settlement, established in 1605 under the leadership of the Sieur de Mons, Annapolis Royal’s founding colony was called l’Acadie, its culture referred to as Acadian, as it is today. Over a period of 105 years, the British made six attempts to conquer the Acadian capital, until they defeated the French in the Siege of Port Royal, in 1710. Shortly thereafter, the town’s name was changed to Annapolis Royal.
Designed to represent the gardens of the Annapolis Valley at various periods in Acadia’s history, the Historic Gardens has something for every garden lover: formal Victorian and Rose gardens, La Maison Acadienne et Potager (a French settler’s dwelling), an innovative garden representing the modern period, a blush of perennial flora and fauna, a riot of textured, leafy shrub borders, and reproductions of pools spanning the centuries.
Covering 17 acres, and showcasing the Annapolis Valley from a horticultural perspective, as far as VanRamblings is concerned, Annapolis Royal’s Historic Gardens easily surpass Halifax’s Public Gardens.
Our garden tour continued long into the day with a visit to …
The Garden Path
A private, yet open garden situated on Mallette Lake, since 1999 The Garden Path has been a labour of love for Gary and Arla Marshall, who upon purchasing their beautiful lakeside home near the turn of the millennium, set about to create a breathtaking woodland garden.
This afternoon’s visit to The Garden Path began with a sumptuous feast, a potluck dinner for the 20 members of the Samuel de Champlain Garden Club. Over the course of the hour we toured the garden, VanRamblings took many pictures, most of which you can look for in Sunday’s SlideFlickr ‘show’. You know what they say (“a picture represents a thousand words“).
Return to VanRamblings Sunday for an explication of our Garden Tour Day.
