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˚ canadiangardening.com
100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
The medieval bridal bridge on homeowner Nancy Corriveau’s 120-hectare property in Quebec was built in 2008, with the towers added in 2010. It’s a very popular spot for wedding photographs.
CREDIT
1 DREAM
6
gardens A tale of an ambitious woman with dreams of creating enchanted gardens that would appeal to all the senses of whoever came under their spell. text wendy helfenbaum | photography perry mastrovito
facebook.com/canadiangardening
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clockwise from left: A statue of Apollo is surrounded by ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood in the five senses garden; a climbing ‘John Davis’ Explorer Series rose; this stone bridge, inspired by one Nancy saw in Belgium, was built in 2006 in the middle of the five senses garden and was designed to look like it had been there since the 17th century; ‘Gold Heart’ dicentra (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), ‘Big Daddy’ hosta (Hosta sieboldiana hybrid) and chestnut-leaved rodgersia (Rodgersia aesculifolia) line a flagstone path in the five senses garden.
O
Once upon a time, Nancy Corriveau dreamed of wide open space in the country, a magical setting where she could raise a large family. So when she came across nearly 120 hectares of land on Île d’Orléans in 1999, she leapt at her good fortune. Located about 15 kilometres east of Quebec City in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, the designated historical district was one of the first settlements in New France; it was originally home to the Wendat people, who called it ‘Minigo,’ meaning enchanted island. Needless to say, it was the ideal spot for Nancy’s dreams to take root. “I was so in love with the land and its waterfall that my future garden plans unfolded in my mind the first time I visited it,” recalls Nancy, who spent 10 years meticulously designing La Seigneurie de l’île d’Orléans, a five-hectare botanical paradise that includes six thematic gardens. During that time, Nancy ran a successful insurance and investment company while raising six children. “People said, ‘You’re so successful, why not just travel? Why take on huge projects and stress?’ To me, being successful is one thing, but succeeding in one’s life is another,” she says. ››
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˚ canadiangardening.com
100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
CREDIT
A weeping Norway spruce (Picea abies forma pendula) frames an opening to the edible flower garden, where ‘Gold Heart’ dicentra and purple Jackmanii Superba clematis (Clematis ‘Gipsy Queen’) live beyond the mini flagstone wall.
facebook.com/canadiangardening
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GARDEN PLAN LAVENDER FIELD
FIVE SENSES GARDEN
VINEYARD FRUIT GARDEN
SHADOW GARDEN
AMERINDIAN GARDEN
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ZEN forest
54
˚ canadiangardening.com
100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
garden stats Size: 5 hectares Zone: 4 Orientation: South Age of garden: 16 years Conditions: Various soil conditions, from clay to sand in different areas Growing season: April to October Focus: Six thematic gardens, plus a massive field of lavender Maintenance: As soon as the snow melts and
the soil can be worked, Nancy and a team of gardeners begin spring cleanup; four gardeners tend the property in summer
CREDIT
In the five senses garden, ‘Kelly’s Gold’ Manitoba maple (Acer negundo ‘Kelly’s Gold’), Diablo ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Monlo’), crimson monarda, ‘Frances Williams’ hosta (Hosta ‘Frances Williams’ [sieboldiana]) and purple barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Concorde’) create a visually arresting layered border.
facebook.com/canadiangardening
˚ 55
clockwise from left: A climbing kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) vine frames the entrance to the fruit garden; a six-metrehigh wigwam, crafted by a local Wendat, makes a commanding focal point amid hundreds of traditional healing plants and indigenous flowers in the Amerindian garden; each spring, as a tribute to the previous owners, Nancy sets up a country supper table, which sits undisturbed in the woods until October. OPPOSITE: The forest in the shadow garden is bordered by ferns. The steps, made of cedar posts, lead to the historic sawmill.
Because the property wasn’t landscaped, Nancy began with a blank canvas. She also had zero garden design experience, so she spent three years working with a horticulturist. “Sometimes not having certain skills can be a good thing – it meant there were no limits to what I imagined I could do.” After planting an impressive field of lavender, Nancy created a five senses garden inspired by Provence’s Jardin des 5 Sens. One section pays homage to the four main perfume families, encompassing touch, smell, hearing and sight. Weeping Norway spruce trees frame the edible flower garden, where visitors are encouraged to taste everything. Next, Nancy designed the fruit garden, recreating the idyllic setting where Cleopatra and Julius Caesar nibbled delectable delicacies. She had an ornate Italian ceramic podium built near the Rivière-de-la-Savane, where visitors enjoy sun-kissed plums, pears, cherries, apricots, berries and quince while listening to frogs singing in the nearby pond. In the shadow garden, Nancy focused on waves of foliage, texture and movement. Three lookout points offer spectacular views of the river. A whimsical feast in the forest near the 56
˚ canadiangardening.com
ruins of an 18th-century sawmill pays tribute to the previous owners who lived there. “I wanted their spirits to live on, so each spring, we set a table with beautiful china and candelabras, and it’s amazing – nothing ever falls,” says Nancy. Further along, a 35-metre-long tunnel supporting 120 purple-flowered Japanese wisterias leads to the Stairs of the Parliament, a popular spot for weddings. Past the 20-metre-high waterfall, a field of 3,000 purple echinaceas welcomes visitors to the Zen forest, with its crimson pagoda and bridge flanked by two ancient apple trees. Nearby, the Amerindian garden honours the indigenous peoples that lived here hundreds of years ago. In 2001, Nancy planted 5,000 grape vines, and hopes to produce wine in the future. She also plans to stage more concerts and plant a field of sunflowers behind her house. Since opening La Seigneurie’s enchanting gardens to the public in 2008, Nancy has welcomed more than 35,000 visitors. How does she do it all? “Nature, the earth and the sky give me a wealth of energy and delight. I go to bed happy every night, because I’m doing what I love.” 100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
“ I don’t WORRY about a THING. I just
KEEP DREAMING and BUILDING IDEAS as they UNFOLD in my HEAD.” facebook.com/canadiangardening
˚ 57
50
˚ canadiangardening.com
100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
The medieval bridal bridge on homeowner Nancy Corriveau’s 120-hectare property in Quebec was built in 2008, with the towers added in 2010. It’s a very popular spot for wedding photographs.
CREDIT
1 DREAM
6
gardens A tale of an ambitious woman with dreams of creating enchanted gardens that would appeal to all the senses of whoever came under their spell. text wendy helfenbaum | photography perry mastrovito
facebook.com/canadiangardening
˚ 51
clockwise from left: A statue of Apollo is surrounded by ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood in the five senses garden; a climbing ‘John Davis’ Explorer Series rose; this stone bridge, inspired by one Nancy saw in Belgium, was built in 2006 in the middle of the five senses garden and was designed to look like it had been there since the 17th century; ‘Gold Heart’ dicentra (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), ‘Big Daddy’ hosta (Hosta sieboldiana hybrid) and chestnut-leaved rodgersia (Rodgersia aesculifolia) line a flagstone path in the five senses garden.
O
Once upon a time, Nancy Corriveau dreamed of wide open space in the country, a magical setting where she could raise a large family. So when she came across nearly 120 hectares of land on Île d’Orléans in 1999, she leapt at her good fortune. Located about 15 kilometres east of Quebec City in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, the designated historical district was one of the first settlements in New France; it was originally home to the Wendat people, who called it ‘Minigo,’ meaning enchanted island. Needless to say, it was the ideal spot for Nancy’s dreams to take root. “I was so in love with the land and its waterfall that my future garden plans unfolded in my mind the first time I visited it,” recalls Nancy, who spent 10 years meticulously designing La Seigneurie de l’île d’Orléans, a five-hectare botanical paradise that includes six thematic gardens. During that time, Nancy ran a successful insurance and investment company while raising six children. “People said, ‘You’re so successful, why not just travel? Why take on huge projects and stress?’ To me, being successful is one thing, but succeeding in one’s life is another,” she says. ››
52
˚ canadiangardening.com
100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
CREDIT
A weeping Norway spruce (Picea abies forma pendula) frames an opening to the edible flower garden, where ‘Gold Heart’ dicentra and purple Jackmanii Superba clematis (Clematis ‘Gipsy Queen’) live beyond the mini flagstone wall.
facebook.com/canadiangardening
˚ 53
GARDEN PLAN LAVENDER FIELD
FIVE SENSES GARDEN
VINEYARD FRUIT GARDEN
SHADOW GARDEN
AMERINDIAN GARDEN
CREDIT
ZEN forest
54
˚ canadiangardening.com
100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
garden stats Size: 5 hectares Zone: 4 Orientation: South Age of garden: 16 years Conditions: Various soil conditions, from clay to sand in different areas Growing season: April to October Focus: Six thematic gardens, plus a massive field of lavender Maintenance: As soon as the snow melts and
the soil can be worked, Nancy and a team of gardeners begin spring cleanup; four gardeners tend the property in summer
CREDIT
In the five senses garden, ‘Kelly’s Gold’ Manitoba maple (Acer negundo ‘Kelly’s Gold’), Diablo ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Monlo’), crimson monarda, ‘Frances Williams’ hosta (Hosta ‘Frances Williams’ [sieboldiana]) and purple barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Concorde’) create a visually arresting layered border.
facebook.com/canadiangardening
˚ 55
clockwise from left: A climbing kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) vine frames the entrance to the fruit garden; a six-metrehigh wigwam, crafted by a local Wendat, makes a commanding focal point amid hundreds of traditional healing plants and indigenous flowers in the Amerindian garden; each spring, as a tribute to the previous owners, Nancy sets up a country supper table, which sits undisturbed in the woods until October. OPPOSITE: The forest in the shadow garden is bordered by ferns. The steps, made of cedar posts, lead to the historic sawmill.
Because the property wasn’t landscaped, Nancy began with a blank canvas. She also had zero garden design experience, so she spent three years working with a horticulturist. “Sometimes not having certain skills can be a good thing – it meant there were no limits to what I imagined I could do.” After planting an impressive field of lavender, Nancy created a five senses garden inspired by Provence’s Jardin des 5 Sens. One section pays homage to the four main perfume families, encompassing touch, smell, hearing and sight. Weeping Norway spruce trees frame the edible flower garden, where visitors are encouraged to taste everything. Next, Nancy designed the fruit garden, recreating the idyllic setting where Cleopatra and Julius Caesar nibbled delectable delicacies. She had an ornate Italian ceramic podium built near the Rivière-de-la-Savane, where visitors enjoy sun-kissed plums, pears, cherries, apricots, berries and quince while listening to frogs singing in the nearby pond. In the shadow garden, Nancy focused on waves of foliage, texture and movement. Three lookout points offer spectacular views of the river. A whimsical feast in the forest near the 56
˚ canadiangardening.com
ruins of an 18th-century sawmill pays tribute to the previous owners who lived there. “I wanted their spirits to live on, so each spring, we set a table with beautiful china and candelabras, and it’s amazing – nothing ever falls,” says Nancy. Further along, a 35-metre-long tunnel supporting 120 purple-flowered Japanese wisterias leads to the Stairs of the Parliament, a popular spot for weddings. Past the 20-metre-high waterfall, a field of 3,000 purple echinaceas welcomes visitors to the Zen forest, with its crimson pagoda and bridge flanked by two ancient apple trees. Nearby, the Amerindian garden honours the indigenous peoples that lived here hundreds of years ago. In 2001, Nancy planted 5,000 grape vines, and hopes to produce wine in the future. She also plans to stage more concerts and plant a field of sunflowers behind her house. Since opening La Seigneurie’s enchanting gardens to the public in 2008, Nancy has welcomed more than 35,000 visitors. How does she do it all? “Nature, the earth and the sky give me a wealth of energy and delight. I go to bed happy every night, because I’m doing what I love.” 100+ GREAT GARDEN IDEAS 2015
“ I don’t WORRY about a THING. I just
KEEP DREAMING and BUILDING IDEAS as they UNFOLD in my HEAD.” facebook.com/canadiangardening
˚ 57
