Walled Garden

The Walled Garden is a transition garden that marries the formal Georgian style architecture of the KC Irving Environmental Science Centre with the picturesque landscape style employed to create the Acadian Forest habitats. At first glance the garden looks like a typical English garden, however all of the plants are native species of the Acadian Forest Region and are unusual choices for this style of garden.

Vibrant fall colours of blueberries, dogwood and Virginia creeper
contrast the inkberry in the Walled Garden

The garden is bordered to the east and north by the building and by 10 foot high brick walls on the west and south. This enclosure creates a micro climate that flowers approximately two weeks earlier than the adjacent garden habitats.

This garden is divided into quadrants around a fountain pool in the centre. Each quadrant is bordered by the low-boxed hedge of inkberry, a native evergreen holly that bears dark blue-black berries. The centre of each quadrant is planted with the native high bush blueberry. In fall, the dark green inkberry contrasts well with the bright orange red leaves of the blueberry. Around the outside of each quadrant are beds planted with various species of low bush blueberries. This garden is home to one of the largest collections of blueberry species in the world, due to the work of Dr Sam VanderKloet, Acadia University.

Along the south and west walls are borders planted with flowering shrubs and perennials. In spring the serviceberry defines the corners of each bed with their early white flowers. Later the native wild rose adds a splash of pink colour to the middle border backed by the fragrant hedge of bayberry. Be sure to watch for the Mayflower in bloom in late April.