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.

Plants for Sale

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.