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Click
HERE to view photos and drawings of the herb garden, herb
lists for 2001 through 2003, and the January 2004 Herb Garden
Report. This Herb Garden eBook is an Adobe Acrobat file, and
requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (at least version 4) to view. This
software is available for free from
www.adobe.com.
The Herb Garden at Assiniboine Park became a
reality in the spring of 1997 when the "Herbal Primer" was being
filmed by the Women's Television Network (WTN). The Herb Society
of Manitoba was invited to be involved in this special project.
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, current Herb Garden Chair (& involved with the garden
since it's inception), and her dedicated team of volunteers,
including Irene Hyland, Carol Hibbert, 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 know more about it, you can contact Anne Jackson,
Herb Garden Chair, by email at:
herbsocietymb@mts.net.
    
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