15. Maplelawn Garden

In 1993, under the leadership of Ann Faulkner and Nancy Smith, a volunteer group was formed to look after the neglected garden at the Maplelawn Estate in Westboro. In a partnership that continues to this day, the Friends of Maplelawn Garden (FMG) entered into an agreement with the National Capital Commission (NCC) to study, preserve and rehabilitate “the only example of a pre-Confederation, Canadian walled garden to survive so little changed.” (EvB, 1995)

Maplelawn is a place where you can tell the story of Bytown/Ottawa in one-acre, i.e. what remains of the original land grant to the Thomson family over 200 years ago. The Thomsons quickly set about developing their “rocky tree-covered property” with its original 1833 stone dwelling house, barns, stables and outbuildings. The overall layout persists today including the signature walled garden of rough-dressed limestone where, within its confines, fruits and vegetables rather than perennials were raised/grown.

The property, with its “garden and ornamented grounds,” was sold in 1878 to Thomas Cole, who had made his money in the lumber industry. The first photo-documentary evidence of the late 19th century garden shows fruit trees, shrubs and leafy arbors, with tender fruits and vegetables placed within the center of the beds. Peonies, oriental poppies and other ornamentals were planted around the edges.

Lloyd Rochester, a successful mining engineer, and his wife Frances were the third owners of Maplelawn in the mid-1930s. In 1936, they hired R. Warren Oliver of the Central Experimental Farm to renew the essence of the ‘contained’ garden. While retaining its century-old layout, Oliver transformed it into a flowering oasis, replacing vegetable beds with turfgrass lawn edged with perennial borders, a sophistication that informs and motivates the volunteer gardeners today.

In 1989, the property was recognized as nationally significant, “a rare and well-preserved example of a country estate in early 19th Century Canada.” The current continuum of stewards selflessly contribute to the viability and beauty of this special place. The spirit of Ann and Nancy persists, as these efforts bring joy to all who visit and ensures that “this horticultural legacy in all its classical symmetry will continue to delight visitors with its beauty, its air of repose, and its rich historical associations.” (EvB, 1995)

Maplelawn and Gardens was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989 and in 1994 it was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act by the City of Ottawa, comprising one of the few historical landscapes designated in Ottawa.

SOURCES

Edwinna von Baeyer. Maplelawn Landscape History. National Capital Commission: Ottawa, 1995.

Friends of Maplelawn: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofmaplelawngarden/

Heritage Ottawa lecture: John Zvonar. Maplelawn’s Walled Garden of Delight, 2024.YouTube: https://heritageottawa.org/en/events/le-jardin-clos-enchanteur-de-maplelawn