Above photos taken by Tim Evans and NM staff
2024! An even more successful garden tour than the year before. The garden tour went incredibly well, twelve gardens located in Osborne Village, St. Boniface and St. Vital. All gardens varied but were all revered for their distinctive qualities. Eight of the twelve gardens were brand new, never on a garden tour and the four gardens that had been on tour in the past were all incredibly unique and well worth seeing again. Two of the twelve gardens were dedicated seniors whose gardens were notably remarkable!
The varied gardens included:
Helen’s garden - A gorgeous front yard which has a boulevard garden which extended across 3 other neighbours’ front boulevards. Helen has made front yard gardening very contagious and is a pitstop for many people out for a stroll in Osborne Village. Her front yard garden is well known in the community!
Jay’s Garden - My one word for her back yard garden is “enchanting.” Despite having had several deer enter her garden just prior to the tour and creating havoc, it was still an ‘enchanting’ garden!
David’s Garden - David’s garden was the smallest garden on the tour but a unique assortment of beds of flowers. Incredibly well done with little pathways around the beds in his front and back gardens. The colours of flowers were amazing and in full bloom during the tour. Even the sides of his home were adorned with great colour!
Lenore and Bill’s Garden - A very typical but nostalgic ‘St Boniface / St Vital’ garden dating back four decades. Lenore has always tried new and unusual plants and Bill still works in his vegetable garden at the age of 92. Lenore belongs to the Manitoba Master Gardener Association discussion group and her friends were very instrumental in helping Lenore with weeding and edging. As a result, her garden sparkled on the day of the garden tour!
Sandra’s Garden - Sandra wanted very much to be on the tour despite her back garden in disarray with the building of a garage and an adjoining greenhouse / she-shed. While viewing her garden in 2023, her front yard was stunning so I had faith that she would meet the challenge and have her back garden tour worthy. Sandra did not disappoint! Her entire garden was a showpiece!
Krystle and Phylis’s Garden: Mother and daughter share a gorgeous huge home and work together in their garden. The sides of their gardens adorned in multicoloured impatience, too many dozens to count! The front entrance and pots on the deck were eye catching!
Charles and Lynne’s Garden - Charles is a retired senior who has been on garden tours over a decade ago. When asked, he jumped at the opportunity to be on a tour again but said he had minor health issues in the past and needed permission from his wife. When asked, she rolled her eyes and said, “You know I can’t stop you from participating in the garden tour!!!”. We are glad his wife agreed to Charle’s participating! Charles is a longtime Nature Manitoba member with a spectacular garden on the Red River along with front yard beds extending across the boulevard. Charles was so very appreciated on the day of the tour for his vast knowledge on plants and his ease at communicating with the tour folk.
Bill and Ingrid’s Garden - This couple own one of the big and beautiful St Vital lots and have done remarkable work on both a vegetable garden in the back, flower beds throughout their property along with recreational structures for their grandkids. They have proven to be incredibly talented with a jaw dropping front garden of endless colour.
Pat’s Garden - Pat is another large St. Vital Garden with a smaller garden in the front yard but a huge rambling back garden with all kinds of twists and turns and an incredible array of plants throughout in a great shaded setting. When asked to be on the tour, Pat was unsure if her garden met any degree of ‘distinction,’ but I assured her it was an amazing property and it exceeded ‘distinction’! Her garden did not disappoint on the day of the tour.
Jan and Jerry’s Garden - An immaculate garden with a drop-down area into the back garden area, unusual plants throughout and a small vegetable garden in the back corner. Their space makes for enjoyable summer entertaining. Jan and Jerry are well known to be perennial garden tour goers with a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on Manitoba plants and that shows in their selection of plants for their own garden.
Paul and Nancy’s Garden - Pauly is the mastermind behind his back yard garden. The main feature is a spectacular pergola in the centre of his garden complete with grapevines draping themselves overhead for shade and beauty. The pergola is the site where for many family activities with surrounding plants along his privacy fence creating a very private oasis. Nancy has confessed Pauly works until 10pm many evenings gardening but all benefit from his devotion to his garden.
Evelyn’s Garden - Evelyn’s garden has Manitoba cactus growing in the front yard along her driveway, a plot of plants that have piqued many gardeners’ curiosities. Her back garden has several levels with a multitude of plants, most of them in full bloom during the garden tour.
I really like how the garden tour is organized and we surpassed last year's fundraising amount by almost 50%!
New for 2025:
Gardens are being selected in the South end of the city and there will be 12 gardens again along with 1 community garden.
The combo plant sale / last minute ticket sale has worked out very well and is situated in the community garden and will continue for the 2025 tour. Posters and advertising indicate where the “Last minute tickets are available.
Thanks so much to Tami Bradford for her incredible work at creating the great brochures, posters, and signage! She has also increased the amount of advertising which I believe was beneficial for our tour.
Also, thanks again to the members who have contributed to the plant sale and all the volunteers who participated in manning the various homes and the plant / ticket sale site at the St Boniface Heritage Garden on Tache Avenue.
Suggestions are always welcomed to further improve our garden tour. If you have suggestions, please message me at timevansmassage@gmail.com or text / call at 204-295-4442. Suggestions have been reviewed and implemented in the past!
Written by Tim Evans, Garden Tour Coordinator, Manitoba Master Gardener, and Chair for The Prairie Garden book.