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 We are
an excited group…we are anxious to visit the famous Jardins de Metis
or Reford Gardens. We are not disappointed. On hand to meet us was
Alexander Reford who very graciously took us on a very thorough tour
including some areas not seen by the public. A brand new visitor
front entrance greets you now as well as a new visitor center. It is
built on stilts and overlooks part of the gardens nursery. It blends
right in with the landscape and is clad entirely in western red
cedar. While not fully landscaped Alexander indicated to us what it
would look like when finished and we could only think that this
whole area will be perfectly integrated into the surrounding
landscape beautifully.
Of
particular note was the blue poppy glade. Elsie Reford started these
from seed in the 1930’s and as you can see by the picture they have
flourished and grown here since. She obtained these seeds from the
RBG in Edinburgh. She was particularly fortunate in that she could
obtain plants and seeds readily and have them sent to her via ship
because of their connections with Cunard.
What I
most enjoyed about this garden was that the plants were labeled. I
was surprised to see this since it was not a botanic garden. This
garden is a jewel and I encourage all of you who have not made the
trip to do so and discover that for yourself. The two story white
building is Estevan Lodge, recently restored and still not quite
finished, it is a wonderful example of an historic building restored
to its former grandeur. It was originally a spacious fishing camp
built by George Stephen, then president of the Canadian Pacific
Railway. In 1918, Lord Mount Stephen gave Estevan Lodge and adjacent
properties to his niece, Elsie Reford. She made changes and from a
simple building with a peaked roof it grew to a two story villa with
exceptional views of the sea.
We had
a wonderful lunch then made our way over to the International
Gardens Festival, which is part of the gardens and showcases
different regions. This time it showcases the Mediterranean and also
includes other parts of Quebec and abroad. Morocco features the
misunderstood plant, the prickly Hendiya, originally imported from
Mexico. Catalonia presents a striking geometric garden full of
contrasts with its coal black layer of soil and straw. Italy wanted
to present a garden evoking the colours of the Jardin de Metis, or
the blue of the poppy, the symbol of the garden.
Visit www.jardinsmetis.com
We
later met Alexander and took a stroll down Metis-sur-Mer before
heading to dinner. The red house really caught our eyes while
walking, but there were lots to take a look at. As bright as this
is, it totally fits in with the area. It was a lovely dinner and
afterwards we truly looked forward to going to bed…it had been a
great day!
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