Riding Mountain National Park
Wasagaming’s Gardens,
then and now By Rae Kingdon
The moose topiary is very intricate and one sample of how the garden is evolving.
Far left background: Bison topiaries in garden in front of visitor centre.
C
anada’s national parks are gateways to nature, adven- ture and discovery. A leisurely stroll through Wasag- aming’s popular gardens is to experience a beautiful
blend of the old intermixed with the new. Created in the 1930s, near the shores of Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, the gardens are a special reminder of this bygone era, while newly made additions highlight more modern themes of gardening today. Behind the visitor centre, formerly known as the park
museum, lays a quaint, English, cottage-style garden. It is an example of an enduring English gardening tradition. Stately flower beds, a water fountain, flagstone walkways and cozy, covered love seat immediately bring to mind an English country garden with colourful perennials, shrubs and trees creating a romantic interlude. The luxurious green space along Clear Lake’s beach known
as Central Park includes a bandstand, pergola and many well-tended flower beds that continue to highlight the Victo- rian British influence that was the architectural flavour of that time. In fact, the royal insignia situated in the lawn in front of the visitor centre marks Queen Elizabeth II’s current reign.
30 • Fall 2016 A babbling brook and cool artesian well at the east end
of Clear Lake mark the centre pieces of the Wishing Well gardens. These paved paths, foot bridges, oak fencing and the fieldstone well are reminiscent of the Victorian period. They have served as the romantic backdrops for many weddings and have been preserved in keepsake photographs from couples over the decades. Work and design
It is thanks to the work of relief workers that the develop-
ment of these features was even made possible. These work- ers lived and worked in 10 camps spaced throughout Riding Mountain National Park during the Depression years of the 1930s. The park, just newly created at the start of the Depression, had many projects to employ these men at mini- mum wage. While the architectural design of the gardens, includ-
ing the original shapes of the flower beds, remain the same today, the choice in flowers has evolved to include interest- ing annuals such as cannas, coleus, hibiscus, succulents and herbs. Visitors can still enjoy heritage perennial favourites like the 'Altai Scot' rose, delphiniums, monkshood, alliums, hostas and lilies as well as the annual petunias, marigolds,
localgardener.net
All photos courtesy of Riding Mountain National Park unless otherwise noted.
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