At the October meeting, a very interesting and informative presentation was given to Northumberland Master Gardeners by Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science for the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. His talk entitled The RBG Rock Garden: Rejuvenation of a Horticultural Landmark informed us about the 2 year program at RBG to preserve and interpret the remarkable heritage of the rock garden.
Dr. Galbraith presented a history of the rock garden from its inception when it was merely a pit, 35 feet deep, of sand and gravel, to its recent renovation in 2016. Surprisingly, there was no rock present at all originally and all the rock for the garden was trucked in from the Niagara Escarpment. It opened in 1932 and many alpine plants were included originally. Trees were planted also and by the 1960’s these had become large so there was a redesign and many annuals were planted for display gardens. In 2016 the infrastructure required extensive renovation and 21 million dollars was raised to build the present garden which is filled with mature trees, shrubbery and perennial beds built around a waterway.
It is truly a beautiful place to stroll, learn and admire. The NMG bus tour has visited this garden in 2017 just after the renovation was completed and it was a most enjoyable experience in spite of a rainy day.