Nature Reserve
The
Gardens of Rural Rootz are located in the geographic centre of a 100
acre Nature Reserve at the base of the Bruce Peninsula, between Wiarton
and Oliphant. They are built around a headland, or outlier, of the
Niagara Escarpment. This is the first property in Ontario to be
protected by a perpetual Land Conservancy agreement that has an
integrated trail system as part of the easement. The agreement rides on
the deed to the property and protects the land for all time. The
property is largely surrounded by Quarries that extract the famous
Wiarton Stone so popular with urban gardeners and landscape architects.
However, Rural Rootz’ Conservancy Easement insures that the caves and
outlooks will remain as they are today so that your grandchildren’s
grandchildren may experience the thrill of this natural wonder.
The property is circumnavigated by one of the very few Satellite
trails in the Bruce Trail system. This trail features the broadest
spectrum of Bruce Trail ecologies in the smallest area, presenting a
thumbnail sketch of Ontario’s finest walking trails in a 4.2 km hike. Our Rural Rocks Side Trail was chosen in 2007 by the Bruce
Trail Association as one of 40 hikes to celebrate their 40th
Anniversary. Click
here to download a pdf file(229 kb) of the trail map.
Gardens
The gardens are unique in nature, owing to the fact that
there is no soil here. In order to garden at all, we brought in beach
sand and manure as a base so that we would not bring any chemically
contaminated soil onto the property. This served as a gardening medium
for about three years until the expansion of a neighbouring quarry
offered us the opportunity to buy a couple of loads of virgin earth to
incorporate into our soil. After thirty years of sound composting and
soil management practices, we now have a friable sandy loam to work
with. Due to the rugged nature of the terrain and the proximity of the
trees to any areas where we wish to grow plants, we settled on container
gardening as our solution. Most of the containers we use are recycled
truck and tractor tires. Once surrounded by rocks and overflowing with
plants they soon disappear to the eye.
By mid-June, over two hundred species of plants fill the three
display gardens.
Stonewood Garden
In Stonewood Garden, we have an interesting variety of ferns and
shade loving plants. This garden is named for a magnificent Ash tree on
the east boundary and a stone archway on the west. Encircled by stone
walls, there is a small water element with a story telling area
surrounding a tiny fire pit as a focal point.
Hummingbird Haven
Hummingbird Haven is our sunny garden featuring a natural out
cropping of stone which is the jewel of this garden. This rock
outcropping is surrounded by “tire” gardens where tall English
Country Garden style takes over. A cleverly disguised bathtub creates a
small haven for frogs and holds a water feature that was fashioned from
a piece of wave guide from a cellular tower. An arbour of cedar ladders
is covered in Niagara White grapes which produce about two bushels of
grapes for us annually. In this garden also is the water containment
vessel coopered to look like the water tower in the old tv series “Petticoat
Junction”.
Dragonfly Garden
The Dragonfly Garden is our propagating area. Here raised beds are in
a constant state of being worked. Plants which are ready to be potted
for sale are taken to the potting shed to be worked on and then to the
“Pottle” or plant hospital to recover from their trauma.
The gardens are a tribute to “less is more”. Due to the
difficulty of the land, we have had to concentrate many plants into a
relatively small area. We accomplish this with pathways made of sawdust
which levels the terrain for easy walking, keeps feet clean and means we
can work out even after a rain.
Dwellings
The
structures at Rural Rootz are also unusual and interesting. The main
dwelling is a passive solar home, with a composting vault privy, and a
unique soak tub built from a fighter jet canopy. The stone walls and
archway that adorn the gardens were built by a retired oncologist in his
late 70’s. The outbuildings which house the potting shed and plant
recovery area are inspired by the Huron Long Houses and are made from
our own cedar trees and covered with “wire”, the recycled belt from
the pulp and paper industry. The pleasing shape of the buildings blends
into the natural setting in the middle of the woods.
We sell heritage
perennials grown in outdoor raised beds. These plants receive no winter
protection and thus are extremely hardy to this area. Plants are
propagated largely by root division with a few started from our own
seeds sown in season. New plants are introduced regularly and tested for
their durability in this unique micro climate and not offered for sale
until they have proven themselves for at least two years. Rainwater is
recycled for irrigation and warmed to air temperature in a 650 gallon
containment vessel. Soil building continues with a sophisticated compost
system.
