With May just around the corner, we thought today would be the perfect day for a newsy Bloom Report.
Our official visitor season will begin Saturday May 4. In the meantime, we are open in the off season – admission by donation. Operating hours: 9am-5pm.
For the full Bloom Report, including all the pictures and news of the moment, please click HERE.
Cheers!
Join the 2024 Historic Gardens Spring Cleanup efforts April 22-26 (Mon-Fri) 9am-4pm. A community tradition, the first “Spring Clean-up” at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens occurred in April 1987. Decades later, the Gardens Clean-up has expanded to a multi-day event.
Typical shifts are 9-12 or 1-4 each day. Volunteers can work several shifts during the week, or if you only have an hour to give, we’d love to see you regardless! It makes a great family outing – an opportunity to work outdoors with your kids and teach them the value of volunteering at the same time.
As one volunteer stated “What a wonderful opportunity it is to volunteer for Spring Clean-Up at the Historic Gardens! Not only does it feel great to be able to give back to this most beautiful corner-stone of our community, but it’s a fantastic learning opportunity too.”
Further information on the Clean-up can be obtained by calling the Gardens office at 532-7018.
With the official start of Spring just around the corner, we thought today would be the perfect day for a newsy Bloom Report.
Enjoy!
Link: Bloom Report – March 17 2024
It is early March, and the Witch Hazel collection in the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens is pretty much at its best. The oranges, reds and yellows of the blossoms are stunning, and their unique shape adds a ton of interest.
To help you find these special plants, we’ve created a site map denoting the various witch hazels. They are currently all in bloom except the Common Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) which is a fall bloomer.
When you visit, please drop into the Gardens Shop and chat with staff – we can provide you with some addition information about the various witch hazels we have, and also help you find them easily in the Gardens.
Updated: February 25, 2024
Employment at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens provides a wonderful opportunity to work in a beautiful environment and it is rewarding to be part of the team that presents a world class facility to visitors from around the world.
We have openings in the 2024 season for adult positions and student/youth summer positions. Each position listed has a link to further details on the position and information on how to apply.
Positions will be open only until filled, so apply soon!
Maintenance Person – potential for full or part time
The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens Society is offering a unique employment opportunity for a Maintenance Person interested in working within our internationally renowned facility. The Historic Gardens, in addition to our award-winning gardens, maintains two registered heritage properties, a reconstruction of 17th century thatched Acadian house and a variety of other built assets. The Maintenance Person is committed to maintaining our facilities, infrastructure and equipment for the safety and enjoyment of the Historic Gardens by visitors, tenants, volunteers, and staff.
Further details: Maintenance Person Position Overview
Gardener – seasonal full time
The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens is home to a wide selection of unique, rare, and historic plants relevant to the horticultural heritage of Nova Scotia. The plants are arranged within carefully manicured landscape designs, all of which require their own specific degree of attention and care.
Working under the overall supervision of the Horticultural Manager, gardeners are responsible for all aspects of garden maintenance. As a member of the team, you will work with the gardens crew, or independently on occasion, to perform a wide range of gardening tasks meant to uphold the gardens to its expected standard of ornamental excellence.
Further details: Gardener Position Overview
Visitor Services Students/Youth – various 9-14 week summer positions
We are looking for students and youth with great people skills who would like to join our team, working in the many aspects of visitor services. Various positions available, ranging from 9-14 weeks. The earliest positions will start in mid May. Age requirement 15-30 years old.
Further details: Join our Team – Student/Youth Positions
Student/Youth Gardener – 8 week summer position
If you an an energetic youth who likes to work outside, we have a position for a youth gardener/mower. This is an 8 week position. Age requirement 15-30 years old.
Further details: Join our Team – Student/Youth Positions
Gather ’round the Courtyard Bonfire at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens on Sunday afternoon to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us. Stroll the Gardens, chat with friends and “Toast the New Year” with toasted marshmallows. We’ll have hot chocolate for you to sip by the fire and marshmallows on hand as well.
Suggested things to bring:
This is a free event for the community – we will have a donation jar available should you wish to make a contribution to the Gardens.
Many of our trees are all the more incredible in the winter months. Among them, our dawn redwoods (metasequoia glyptostroboides – say THAT ten times fast!). The Dawn Redwood is a deciduous conifer – its needles turn a lovely autumn amber and then drop, leaving a very tall, slim tree to stand sentry in the winter. These Dawn Redwoods have been growing in the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens for 40 years and have become a major feature near the lower ponds.
The Dawn Redwood has a very interesting history and is known as a “living fossil”. It is known to have existed as many as 50,000,000 years ago but was thought to be extinct until it was discovered growing in the wild in China in 1941. Seeds from that discovery were collected and propagated and the Dawn Redwood began to appear in botanical gardens and arboreta around the world. While it is now available to gardeners in nurseries and garden centres, it remains endangered in the wild.
For a super interesting read on this, visit the Arnold Arboretum – The Living Fossil
Many of us are a bit more focused on supporting our favourite charities as the year draws to a close and the December 31 deadline looms for 2023 tax receipts. We hope you will consider a gift to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens in your plans, and if so, we have some helpful hints to make it easy for you.
CanadaHelps is a foundation that accepts donations on behalf of Canadian charities, including the Historic Gardens. Their online system is very slick whether you are using a computer or a phone, and your tax receipt is instantly emailed to you. In addition, you can choose to honour someone special if you wish – also part of their easy online interface. And rest assured, your donation flows through to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens – we have a longstanding relationship with CanadaHelps and are very pleased with their service.
Since time is of the essence, you may wish to take advantage of the CanadaHelps system as the easiest and fastest way to accomplish your year end giving. To go directly to the Canadahelps / Historic Gardens form click on the link below, or scan the QR code with your phone.
CANADAHELPS – Donate to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
If you prefer to donate through the Historic Gardens online shop, that works too! You will receive a 2023 tax receipt by mail so long as your donation is made by the end of December 31, 2023. And if you live close by, you can pop in to the Gardens Shop right up until 5pm on December 31 and donate in person.
But given the time crunch at this time of year, you may wish to try the CanadaHelps option this time around so you can donate “on the go”!
We’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours all the best in this holiday season!
Many of our supporters elect to make donations in memory of loved ones, or to honour a special person or occasion. We dedicate this post to those who have been honoured in 2022 and up to November 30 2023.
Our Seventeen Acres of Paradise do make a fitting place for this type of tribute, and we appreciate the support for the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Donations such as this will help ensure the Gardens continue to provide an oasis of peace and beauty for future generations.
If you wish to make a tribute gift, please head over to our Donate Now page for more information.
We are pleased to announce our new line of Artisanal Jams, Jellies & Sauces now available in the Gardens Shop. These tasty delights are made with small batch love and care by the staff at our own Elm Tree Café, using ingredients from the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens and other local growers! We hope you enjoy our unique local flavours!
Among the flavours featuring our own Historic Gardens ingredients are Acadian Apple & Heirloom Apple Jellies, Carrot Cake Jam, Cranberry Pepper Jam, and some very unique flavour combinations such as Rose Hip & Apple, Dogwood & Apple, Four Roses, and the very unique Pawpaw. These are flavours you simply can’t buy at the grocery store!
Other products include Apple Butter BBQ Sauce, Cranberry & Pear Jam and the unique Two Majors Quince Jelly made with quince from the historic deGannes-Cosby property. We are also pleased to have a fresh supply of our signature Blubarb Jam, a recipe originally created by Margo Bent at Nona’s Preserves and kindly handed down to the Gardens staff for posterity.
Check out the tasting notes below…
Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
Artisanal Jams, Jellies and Sauces – Fall 2023
Made with small batch love and care by the staff at our own Elm Tree Café, using ingredients from the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens and other local growers! We hope you enjoy our unique local flavours!
Acadian Apple Jelly – Pomme Gris
Brought to North America from France in the late 1600s, the pomme gris was well known to the Acadian people. The apples in this jelly were grown here at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. This apple has a yellow and leathery skin with a sweet taste that is excellent for making cider or jelly.
Acadian Apple Jelly – Nonpareil
Arriving in North America from France in the 1600s, the nonpareil apple was one of the varieties grown by the Acadians. The apples in this jelly were grown here at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. The nonpareil has a tart flavour as an eating apple, but this acidity makes for a tasty jelly.
Apple Butter BBQ Sauce
Our Apple Butter BBQ Sauce is made with heirloom Rhode Island Greening apples grown right here at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. This is a sweet, hot, and tangy sauce with a background of hickory smoke. This BBQ sauce works well with chicken and pork.
Blubarb Jam
Blubarb (blueberry and rhubarb) is one of the best loved flavours at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Locally grown rhubarb pairs well with our succulent Nova Scotia blueberries to create a sweet-tart jam. This jam goes well on toast or as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
Carrot Cake Jam
This jam is a special treat with the warming flavour and spices of carrot cake. The carrots in this jam were grown here at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens in our Acadian Garden. This jam goes perfectly on a bagel topped with cream cheese.
Cranberry and Pear Jam
The sharpness of fresh cranberries blends with the lusciousness of perfectly ripe pears to create a balanced sweet-tart jam.
Cranberry Pepper Jam – Medium Hot
Tart cranberries and spicy peppers mingle in this sweet and spicy Cranberry Pepper Jelly. The Chinese 5 Colour Peppers in this jam were grown in the Innovative Garden at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. This jam goes well with goat cheese, on a sandwich or served with crackers.
Dogwood and Apple Jelly
This jelly is made with the edible fruit of the kousa dogwood tree. Better known for their beautiful, four-pointed flowers which bloom in the late spring, the dogwood produces a berry that resembles a red soccer ball. Dogwood and Apple Jelly has a complex, earthy, flavour with sweet and tangy overtones ranging from pumpkin to persimmon.
Four Roses Jelly
This jelly is unique to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Made from the fruit of four members of the rose family Rosaceae (rose hip, quince, apple and pear), this jam has a delicate floral and earthy quality. This jam pairs well with old cheeses, but it can also find a central place on your breakfast table.
Heirloom Apple Jelly – Rhode Island Greening
The Rhode Island Greening is an American apple brought to Nova Scotia by the United Empire Loyalists at the end of the American Revolution. This is an excellent apple for pies and jelly as cooking really brings out its full flavour. The apples in this jelly were grown here at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.
Hot Dogwood and Apple Jelly – Medium Hot
Our Dogwood and Apple Jelly has been given an extra kick with scotch bonnet peppers. The dogwood in this jelly was grown right here at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. This jelly pairs extremely well with crackers and soft cheeses.
Pawpaw Jam
This is a special, very limited-edition jam made with pawpaw grown in the Annapolis Royal Historic Garden’s Innovative Garden. The pawpaw is a small tree native to eastern North America that produces a somewhat mango shaped fruit. This jam has a surprisingly tropical flavour with hints of pineapple, mango and banana.
Quince, Pear and Ginger Jam
This jam is a combination of produce from the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens and some of our local friends. The ginger was grown in our Innovative Garden. The quince comes from an heirloom bush on a property beside the Historic Gardens. The bosc pear is supplied by one of our local orchards. This spiced jam goes well with your morning breakfast, but it also makes a nice accompaniment to cheeses and charcuterie.
Quince, Pear and Ginger Sauce
This versatile sauce can be used equally well as an ice cream topping or as an accompaniment to roasted meats. Tangy quince blends with sweet pear and ginger grown at the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens for a unique taste.
Rose Hip and Apple Jelly
At the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens we have always recommended that everyone take the time to stop and smell the roses. This jelly is a perfect opportunity to stop and taste the roses. Made with hips from a rugosa rose, this is a tart, sweet jelly that goes as well with toast as it does with cheese and charcuterie.
Spiced Apple Butter
Rich and luxurious, Spiced Apple Butter may be the perfect taste of autumn. This deeply flavoured spread has all of your favourite apple pie spices. Enjoy it on toast or, if you want to make it a bit fancier, with a charcuterie platter. Spiced Apple Butter also makes an amazing peanut butter sandwich.
Two Majors Quince Jelly
Native to the forests around the Caspian Sea, quince is not as commonly grown as it was in the Victorian era. Quince is a pear-shaped fruit that is usually considered too tart to be eaten raw. This tartness makes it ideal for jelly. The quince in this jelly comes from the historic Degannes-Cosby House (1708) which is located beside the Historic Gardens.
Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens 