Open Gardens provides passport to garden gems

If you’ve ever walked by a home with a spectacular garden in Brandon and wondered what is beyond that garden gate, then Open Gardens is for you.

Open Gardens takes place on Sunday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a free self-guided tour where lovers of gardens are welcome to visit designated local gardens, both private and public, take in the beautiful sights and chat with the gardeners who have created them.

“Besides just being a great opportunity to have a good time on the weekend and see these lovely gardens, it’s really a chance to celebrate and recognize what some of our community members have created,” said Brady Dane, recreation coordinator, Parks and Recreation Services.

“I really love that we give credit to these gardeners who have put so much time and effort and passion into what they’ve created at their homes and allow them to share that with their community. It’s a lot of fun to see them answering questions and talking to the visitors about what they’ve done, their thought processes and some of the unique and cool things that they’ve got there.”

To make sure you don’t miss any of the gardens, you’ll need the Open Gardens passport, either digital or in print. Printed versions will be available at various public locations such as the Sportsplex, the Riverbank, and local grocery stores. The digital copies are a printable PDF, with full colour as well as an accessible version at brandon.ca/opengardens. You can also access it on your phone and swipe through it. Passports are free. Dane says the best place for all information is the City of Brandon’s social media.

“The passports are just pocket-sized guides and they have the locations of all the gardens participating, as well as maps and a small description of the garden as well as some other information and sponsors,” Dane said. “Each location has a little box on its page for a sticker, kind of a stamp. They are also a little souvenir.”

Visitors can expect to see about 10 gardens on the complete tour. All are located within the city limits with the exception of one which is just outside the city.

“The majority would be within biking range for sure. But I think to see them all, including the one outside the city limits, you would likely need a vehicle,” he said.

About half the gardens are being presented for the first time and the other half are returning. To help keep the event relevant year after year, feedback is welcome.

“Every year we do feedback opportunities for all the participating gardeners. We have a survey that they can complete. We also have surveys available at some of the locations throughout,” Dane said.

“Gardeners really love sharing their knowledge and the information about what they’ve created, answering questions and trading information and ideas with others. We get overwhelmingly positive feedback from the gardeners and members of the public who take part in the tours as well.”

Visitors are encouraged to take photos in the gardens, and notes on advice and ideas for design are worth taking down. Children are welcome to come and adults are asked to be watchful and ensure they do not step into the gardens themselves. Pets are not permitted in the private yards.

“When you are at someone’s home, in their yard, people are required to stay on designated pathways and not take any flowers, seeds, or cuttings of any of the plants they see,” he said.

This year, one garden has had to overcome a very negative event. Coronation Park is the main public location for Open Gardens, located at the old Fleming School building, the Sioux Valley School. Dane says the public garden there has been tended by volunteers for more than 20 years.

“Unfortunately, this past year, they had some vandalism including to a number of bird houses and a bird bath, as well as some general damage,” he said. “But we’re very happy to say that thanks to some donations and more volunteer work, all those have been replaced.

“At a past event, with some of the local kids in attendance – their craft activity at Arbor was to paint the birdhouses. Those have been reinstalled at that location, as well as a new bird bath. And we’re just very excited to make that garden whole again.”

Gardening in Brandon is more than a hobby for residents — it’s a service to everyone who lives there.

“People beautifying and landscaping their own private properties, as well as some of the volunteer properties that we have included make Brandon a more beautiful community and a better place to live,” Dane said.

And a July Sunday at Open Gardens is a day well spent.

“You can visit all the different gardens and see some hidden gems that are right here in Brandon. There are a number of very beautiful and quite interesting landscapes,” Dane said. “It’s a cool opportunity to get into those usually private spaces and see some really wonderful gardens.”

Open Gardens is free to attend and takes place Sunday, July 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. Go to brandon.ca/parks-recreation/events click on Open Gardens for details and links to social media and digital passport.

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