The gardens were an important part of Victorian life. The Museum works hard to keep them authentic.
of one gardener’s 1922 public appeal to have the peony named Winnipeg’s civic flower. During the time, the Macdonald at Dalnavert, between
family lived
1895 and 1929, the garden played an important role in the social activities that took place on site. Lady Macdonald was an eager participant in Winnipeg’s social scene and much of her social life revolved around house parties and teas held in the well-appointed homes of her peers. At Dalnavert, she hosted several events in the home’s spacious parlour which opens out onto Dalnavert’s splendid wraparound veranda that is bordered in luscious greenery and flow- ers. Lady Macdonald’s guests were able to move freely between the parlour and the garden, allowing them to express the love of flora much in evidence during the Victorian period. In the summer of 2013, Dalnavert offered a program called Lady Mac’s Tea Party to give guests a little taste of that same history. Tastes in garden styles change over
time. The later Victorian Age embraced a landscaping style that favoured curvi- linear borders and organic shapes over the highly geometric beds and florid aesthetics preferred in the early Victo- rian period. The effect of this style on Dalnavert’s grounds gives openness and flow to the expansive yard, making it suitable for picnics and croquet. It also softens the frame of the highly ornate architecture of the Queen Anne Revival style. Dalnavert’s gardening committee
localgardener.net
The grand house that was home to Manitoba's first premier, Sir Hugh John MacDonald. It is now a museum.
envisioned the garden in four distinct sections, each a tribute to a different member of the Macdonald family. Next to the peony border, there is Daisy’s Garden, named for Isabella “Daisy” Macdonald — the eldest of the Macdon- ald children. Although she was educat- ed at fine schools and could play the part of a proper Victorian lady, Daisy was a vivacious character who practiced sports, such as fencing, and unlike most young women of her day, did not marry until the age of 38 years. Plants selected for Daisy’s Garden include many histor- ic, wild and native plants, like meadow- sweet and bleeding heart. Next to Daisy’s Garden is Lady
Macdonald’s Garden, suitable for a lady of class and featuring an array of deli- cate and showy plants such as irises, poppies, daylilies and lady’s mantle. Sir Hugh’s Garden at the south-west
corner of the veranda features a selec- tion of boutonnieres and bright flow- ers, such as tiger lilies and bachelor’s buttons. Tucked away in the shade of the
museum’s south wall is Jack’s Garden, named for the family’s young son. Jack’s Garden is filled with fun and playful plants, like snapdragons and lamb’s ears, which curious young visitors are welcome to touch. Jack’s Garden is also the main site for
Dalnavert’s annual summer program, My Secret Garden, offered weekly to families in July and August. This program was inspired by the Children’s Nature Studies encouraged by local horticultural societies and seed purvey-
ors near the turn of the 20th century. Nature studies sought to teach children the names of plants and the value of gardening, not to mention the magical process of planting a seed, tending it, and watching it transform into a mature and beautiful plant. Visitors to Dalnavert’s first floor will
see many signs that show us how impor- tant flowers and plants would have been to a Victorian household, whether for decorative or more practical purposes. More than just pretty features to
enhance curb appeal, Victorian gardens like the one at Dalnavert, were closely connected to the social climate of the time. Canadians in the 1890s were largely concerned with social welfare and to the effects of expanding indus- try and rising poverty. Gardening became closely tied to the movement for social reform because of its capacity to improve civic beauty and restore a sense of pride in a town and its citizens. Horticultural societies were at the
forefront of this movement to support local gardening and educate citizens on their value to the greater good. They also encouraged experimentation with native varieties of plants to instill in residents a sense of national and region- al pride. The promotion of Children’s Nature Studies went hand-in-hand with this movement. It is easy to appreciate the great social
value placed on Victorian gardens, given how present they were in daily life at the time. Not only did an attrac- tive curvilinear border enhance the beauty of one’s home, it also supplied
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