A History Of Canadian Gardening

The story of what gardens and gardening have meant to Canadians over the centuries has, until now, been unavailable in one volume. A History of Canadian Gardeningtells that story in words and stunning historical images. Beginning with the extensive cornfields tended by the Huron before the Europeans arrived, it describes more than 400 years of gardening in Canada -- including the adventures of early botanical explorers, the Hudson's Bay Company's attempts to grow vegetables in the north, the difficulties faced by pioneer gardeners, the City Beautiful Movement at the turn of the twentieth century, early school gardens and garden clubs, botanical gardens across the country, the back-to-the-land movement of the 1970s, the recent interest in heritage seeds, and the current passion for everything to do with gardens.

"In a land as fertile and rich with the bounty of its farm and timberlands, it is not surpising that the history of gardening and gardening movemnts in Canada is a story at once as colourful, and fascinating as that of the country itself. And at no time in the history of Canada was the subject more closely intertwined with the recreational, educational, and social fabrics of our own daily lives than in the early years of the present century. Here is the uniquely Canadian story of the development of ornamental and civic gardens, of public parks and parkways that goees hand in hand with the growth of towns and cities across the land, of Canada's "railway gardens", championed by the Canadian Pacific as a beckoning, floral advertisements of the fertility and hospitality of the Canadian west."--Dust jacket.

Reproducing a rare 1827 plant and seed catalogue, possibly the earliest extant catalogue of its kind in Canada, Early Canadian Gardening presents an extensive range of garden plants -- trees, shrubs, fruits, and flowers -- that were grown for food, medicines, and dyestuffs as well as ornamental purposes. Eileen Woodhead provides a detailed description and brief history of the cultivation and use of each plant up to the present day. Most of the descriptions are accompanied by detailed drawings by the author, who found and grew many of the original varieties in the catalogue. The book provides a valuable account of the business of horticulture in the first decades of the nineteenth century -- the practices of importers, merchants, farms, and households -- placing it within the broader context of social history. It includes an appendix of historic sites and botanical gardens in Ontario, as well as sources for heritage seeds. Early Canadian Gardening is a ground-breaking account of the practice and significance of horticulture during the period of settlement in Upper Canada and stands as a remarkable work of historical botany. It will be an invaluable source document for horticulturists and botanists, historians, and garden enthusiasts with an interest in heritage plants.

The National Library of Canada presents an online exhibit entitled "Cultivating Canadian Gardens: The History of Gardening in Canada." The exhibit covers the development of gardening in Canada from the 17th century through the end of the 20th century.

"The Canadian Gardener is a must for anyone gardening in Canada. Filled with beautiful colour photographs and a wealth of practical information, "The Canadian Gardener is both the perfect inspiration and gift for hands-on gardeners and garden-lovers alike, certain to go from the coffee table to the garden and back again. "The Canadian Gardener is a comprehensive guidebook for both the expert and beginning gardener, filled with indispensable gardening tips, design suggestions, plant listings, zone guides and solutions to many gardening problems. There are 208 pages of stunning, full-colour photographs from Canadian gardens. Taken especially for this book, these beautiful pictures feature gardens from across the country, and illustrate the practical advice given in the text. A special section of the book discusses Canada's different hardiness zones, indicating what plants can survive under certain light and temperature conditions. "The Canadian Gardener also encourages the Canadian gardeners to consider the microclimates which exist in his or her own garden, created by such things as soil, prevailing winds, sunlight, and the size and number of trees. Marjorie Harris and photographer Tim Saunders criss-crossed the country taking hundreds of pictures and talking to dozens of Canadian gardeners about their ideas, problems, solutions and gardening advice.