Natasa Juck, Landscape Architect and then Herb Garden Chair, designed our Herb Garden and has overseen its development since its inception. The original master plan involved the garden being installed in phases. The final phase of development was completed in the spring of 2003.

In 2000, with all the rain Winnipeg received, our Herb Garden suffered extreme flooding. It was at this time that we realized the garden was planted in one of the lowest areas on the Conservatory grounds. We had to fix the drainage problem, then replant the herbs lost to the floods.
 

In the spring of 2001, the ditch south of the garden was lowered to help drain water away from our garden. In early September, 2001 a large garden work party took place to add an additional 20 yards of 4-way mix with 30% extra sand; move some of the existing plants depending on their moisture requirements; plant an additional 75 perennial herbs donated by Sage Garden Herbs; and harvest herbs for the Hospitality Committee to use.

In 2002, the garden's planting scheme was redesigned based on the themes: Medicinal, Culinary, Scented, Household and Sacred. As well a plaque acknowledging those who were instrumental in making the garden a reality was installed and pavers were also installed under the benches. Special thanks to the sponsors of the Assiniboine Park Herb Garden, those involved in the 2000/2001 expansion and 2002 improvements: Shelmerdine Nurseries and Garden Center Ltd.; Sage Garden Herbs; Richters Seeds; Reimer Soils; Revy Home and Garden (Panet Road); Kackenhoff Nurseries Ltd.; Skills Unlimited; Perimeter Concrete; J&D Penner; Henry Avenue Forge; and the Assiniboine Park Conservatory.

In 2003 the Littleleaf Lilac hedge planned for the outer circle of the garden was installed, completing the original design. Shelmerdine Nurseries and Garden Center did a lovely job, enlarging the garden slightly to accommodate the new hedge. Many thanks to Shelmerdine as well to the Conservatory and The Friends of the Conservatory for their assistance with this project. We still had room for the outer ring of kale that seems to work so well at keeping the deer and rabbits on the "outside" of the garden, but as the hedge matures, this space will soon disappear. We may find we need to enlarge the garden once again to keep our critters and our gardeners both happy, but perhaps the hedge itself will prove deterrent enough. Osaka Kale was substituted for the lilac hedge prior to its installation, and it turned out to be the perfect solution, keeping the rabbits and deer away from the plants within the Herb Garden.

The Herb Society's membership maintains the garden. The Herb Garden is a success due to the efforts of Anne Jackson, past Herb Garden Chair (& involved with the garden since it's inception), our current Herb Garden Co-Chairs Carol Hibbert and Shelley Walker, and other dedicated volunteers, including Irene Hyland, Kaz Sawicz, Natasa Juck, Faye Schmidt, Janet Meckling, Debbie Grandpre, Tanis Hohne, Yvonne Crampton, Lucretia Ionescu, June Harris, Maura Kippen, Deb and Bob Kitlar, Irv Jackson and Stefan Fediuk. This list of volunteers changes slightly each year, with new recruits, but many members stay on the garden crew for years.

The Executive of the Herb Society wishes to extend a special thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make the garden beautiful this past year.

The garden provides members and park visitors an inspirational, aesthetic and sensory space, as well as a means to see and learn about herbs. Donations toward its ongoing upkeep can be made to the Herb Society of Manitoba: Herb Garden. If you would like to help in the garden or want to know more about it, you can contact our Herb Garden Chair, by email at: herbgarden@herbsocietymb.com.

Make sure you visit our lovely garden when you visit the park!