Glog
March Activities (February 24, 2011)
March brings the first signs of spring, with the ice in the St. Lawrence beginning its slow break-up and the longer days bring the first signs of life to the plants and trees. It is also the month that we launch our offensive to encourage our members to renew their season’s passes and to seduce visitors from across Canada to make Metis their garden destination for the summer of 2011.
This year we are trying something new and something old. The something new is the first ever winter visit of the gardens on Sunday, March 6. This is the first Sunday of the school break and we are hoping that this inaugural winter visit will attract families and children in addition to our members and frequent visitors. 
Anyone who has ventured on the slippery and snow-covered driveway into the gardens during the winter has witnessed their silent beauty. This year we have decided to share this beauty with others. With a pair of snowshoes or winter boots, visitors will be invited to wander the pathways, visit the site of the International Garden Festival and even embark on a trek to the mouth of the Mitis River. Our chef, Pierre-Olivier Ferry will be on hand to serve up some hot chocolate and coffee in the warmth of our new greenhouse complex. The visit is from 12 noon to 4 pm. Our intern from the Cegep de Matane, Julie Labbé, will be on hand to welcome you and Melanie Gauthier and Alexandre Dubé Richard will guide you in the right direction. Bring your camera because we want you to take some photographs and share them with us – and hopefully win one of several prizes on offer.
The something old is our return to Canada Blooms this year with both a feature garden and a booth in the Via Rail Garden Route section. Canada Blooms is Canada’s major garden show and attracts more than 100,000 visitors to its Toronto venue between March 15 and March 20. This is the seventh time the Festival has presented a feature garden and as in previous years our 2011 feature garden promises to be a show-stopper.
Deb Nagan is a landscape architect based in London, England and has built gardens around the world. Deb Nagan’s Every Garden Needs a Shed and a Lawn has been the crowd favourite of the Festival since its first appearance in 2009 and will return for a 3rd showing this summer.
Her feature garden for Canada Blooms is provocatively titled, « how green is the garden? » and encourages gardeners to think about the environmental impact of their own gardens. We are perhaps not as green as we think. Five colourful sheds are on display and visitors will explore each one, and in the process discover the hidden contents of their own sheds, pesticides, chemicals, broken tools, years of accumulated junk, projects started but unfinished, a snapshot of the hidden truth in our garden and our lives.
Last year’s garden, Oursins, is used on the front cover of this year’s promotional material and I have no doubt that Deb Nagan’s garden will also be a cover shot. Something old and something new – why not join us for one or both?
