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Historic Garden

© Howard Deutch

    A family reunion brought us to Nova Scotia. That led to a visit to the Historic Gardens at Annapolis Royal. Getting all of our kids and grandkids together at the same time and place from afar and even further was a planning exercise taking place over many a month.  A window opened up during school vacation and a location was selected after innumerable suggestions. Sea kayaking for some, Bay of Fundy tides for others and Digby scallops and lobster for me settled the decision.

 

 

    Annapolis Royal is on the Evangeline Trail, just in from the Bay of Fundy with its monstrous tides. It was first settled by the French some 370 years ago. It became the first capital of Nova Scotia when the British took over in 1710. The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens are devoted to the history of gardening and horticulture from Acadian days to the present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One example of an early flower introduced to Nova Scotia was a Austrian Copper single rose that dated back prior to 1590. I was surprised to find out that it is still available today. A Salix matsudana "Tortuosa" Dragon's claw willow also caught my eye. It was not as baleful as its name implied. Someone with a vivid imagination must have named it.

 

 

 

 

    A Gunnera chilensis was more of a monster than the willow. It would take a large garden to accommodate this one. These pods were more than a foot and a half tall. The leaves were about the biggest I have seen. This is a perennial. If it ever got away it could become a dangerous jungle.

 

 

 

 

 

    Naturally there was a gift shop in the Historic Gardens .  A Canary Creeper crept up one wall. Among the packets of seeds that were on sale were Lupines. This seemed strange as they were thickly and wildly in flower everywhere with fresh seeds for the taking.

 

 

 

    Our family stayed at the Milford House, halfway between Annapolis Royal and the Kejimkujic National Park. We had them set up a table in the dining room for the thirteen of us. During the entire week we were there, only once were all 13 of us seated at the same time. Late sleepers in the

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