By Susie Cosack, Master Gardener, SCMG
Continuing our Summer Series… Here is Kingsbrae Garden!
Opened in 1998, Kingsbrae Garden is a 27 acre, award-winning garden situated in the seaside resort community of St. Andrews by-the Sea, roughly 85 km west of St. John. Created by Lucinda and John Flemer, in partnership with the provincial government and the people of St. Andrews, Kingsbrae was envisioned as a way for the Flemers to share their mutual love of horticulture and the natural environment with their community.
Under Lucinda’s leadership, Kingbrae has become more than a public place to visit and enjoy, but is also a centre of learning and excellence as well as a significant local employer. The garden has received national attention, notably being certified as an Audobon Co-operative Sanctuary in 2001 for their conservation efforts, being named the Best Developed Outdoor Site by Attractions Canada in 2001, and was called the top Canadian Garden to visit during Canada’s sesquicentennial year by Tripadvisor. In 2017, Lucinda Flemer was selected as Garden Person of the Year by the Canadian Garden Tourism Awards.
Kingsbrae displays over 50,000 perennials including flowers, shrubs, and trees, organized as a series of themed horticultural areas overlooking Passamaquoddy Bay. Various features include a working replica of a Dutch windmill, a cedar maze, sculptures, animals, an onsite art studio, and a garden cafe. The grounds are accessible for visitors with a range of physical abilities and are pet friendly. Kingsbrae welcomes over 25,000 visitors annually and is regularly spotted on top-10 lists of Canadian gardens.
The Entry Garden: Leading to the entrance of the gardens from the parking lot are beds of Day Lilies and Grasses. Begonia umbrella trees underplanted with more brightly coloured annuals welcome visitors inside.
The Arboretum: By the entry garden, there is a walk lined with the official trees of each of the ten provinces and three territories.
The Container Garden: This area has herbs, vegetables, and flowers that can be grown in any type of container and placed on patios, roof tops or balconies. Lavender, Mints, Rosemary, and Thyme can easily be spotted here.
The Orchard Garden: Planted full of heirloom apple tree varieties. New Brunswicker and Crimson Beauties (Scarlet Pippin) are represented here.
The Edible Garden: Walk past native fruit and berry plants. Seen are wild strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and red currants.
The Therapy and Scent and Sensitivity Garden: A unique garden for people with special needs, this raised bed garden has been designed for the visually impaired, with plants selected for their scent and texture.
Flowering Dogwood, Rugosa roses, Hyacinths, Lavender, and scented Geraniums, among others. All beds have markers written in Braille, English, and Latin. There are trees for shade for sensitive eyes and wind chimes sound in the breeze to guide visitors along the path.
The Perennial Garden: There are several beds surrounded by cedar hedges and planted with a variety of perennials. In bloom all season with Daffodils, Lilies, Coneflowers, Monarda, False Sunflowers and so much more.
The Children’s Garden and Fantasy Garden: The theme here is outdoor fun and play. Trails through an Acadian Forest offer open spaces to run. Play houses for children to enjoy and benches to stop and rest at.
The Gravel Garden: This garden is landscaped to conserve water. Drought resistant plants are planted. Viewed are Butterfly weed, Bergenia, Campanlua, and Thistle.
The Knot Garden: A formal Celtic knot shaped garden. Made with two contrasting coloured shrubs such as Boxwood and Barberry.
The Cottage Garden: An English style garden with many perennial and annual varieties surrounded by a brick wall. Varieties such as Phlox, Geranium, Asters, and Lilies are among the flower beds.
The White Garden: A garden full of only white blooming perennials such as Liatris, Cone, and Veronica, to name a few.
The Rose Garden: Includes Rosa, Grandiflora, Carpet varieties, plus many wild native Rugosas.
The Windmill and Pond Garden: A Dutch working windmill (1/3 scale) that moves water from the lower to the upper pond filled with waterlilies. Surrounding plants include Astilbe, Willow, Dogwoods, and Iris.
The Zen Garden: A peaceful section of the garden for reflection and meditation.
The Rill Garden: A Rill is a waterway that creates uses the pleasant sound of running water to create ambience.
Along the walk there are sculptures to enjoy. Many are from outside galleries but others are from Kingsbrae’s own annual sculpture competition. By 2009 there were over 80 sculptures to view in the gardens
Kingsbrae Garden also houses specialty animals on site. Alpacas, Pigmy goats, Peacocks, Silkie chickens, and wild ducks. There are two rabbits that live in the Fantasy garden. All the animals walk the garden paths with staff supervision and photo opportunities on the lawn by the garden cafe are welcomed.
Kingsbrae Garden is open year round, 9am – 6pm 7 days a week. After being closed due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, Kingsbrae has announced that they will reopen to the public in May of 2022. Plants and planting vary seasonally, as well as annually. Gardens are often renovated and rejuvenated. Themes change but a spectacular show is always the end goal.
Kingsbrae Garden, in New Brunswick, Canada. A garden not to be missed !
Kingsbrae Garden
220 King St.
St. Andrews, New Brunswick E5B 1Y8 Canada
References:
Perennial Garden, https://kingsbraegarden.com , Feb. 5, 2022
The Gardens of Kingsbrae, https://kingsbraegarden.com , Feb. 4, 2022 kingsbraegarden.com, https://kingsbraegarden.com , Feb. 4, 2022
Trip Advisor, https://kingsbraegarden.com , Feb. 4, 2022
