Last workweek , I had the chance to visit Quebec City for the annual Garden Writer ’s Association conference . It was an fantabulous chance to connection with garden writers from around the world and tour some of the brightest garden in the urban center . I thought you might revel seeing some of the prototype I took during my visit and learning a bit about what ’s going on in the city ’s gardening community .
I was most impressed by a rooftop garden at La Maison de Lauberivière . This former hotel is now home to the city ’s largest homeless shelter . Their 6,000 - straight - foot garden is located on the building ’s roof and produces about 1½ tons of garden truck each year . Everything that ’s grown there is eaten by the house physician . What ’s peculiarly amazing about this garden is that the plants are grown only in cloth crapper bags know asSmartPots . In addition to growing every eccentric of vegetable conceivable , there were apple Tree , fearless kiwis , grape vines , currants and blueberries . It was interesting to hear that these plants survive the winter on the rooftop without any inauspicious effects and that the cloth pots last 7 to 10 long time ! I was astonied at the allegiance of the garden ’s caregivers and at the amount of attention establish to making this garden not only productive , but also beautiful .
La Maison de Lauberivière
We also had the chance to consider a number of other private and public garden , including a sunken metropolis garden that criticise my socks off and a home plate garden that boasted an eclectic combination of a small gothic greenhouse , an Irish moss - loaded path , a cottage - manner repeated border and a cactus garden ( yes , a cactus garden — in Quebec ! ) .
Sunken Garden
Home Garden
My favorite garden of all was found at Domaine Joly de Lotbinière , the former home of Sir Henri - Gustave Joly de Lotbinière , former PM of Quebec . The home was built in 1828 and now boasts an unbelievably beautiful test garden that fuse vegetables and ornamentals in the most spectacular way . Set up in four rectangular quadrants , this garden was graced with 2,300 different plant multifariousness . I could have stayed there enjoy in its stunner — and shooting photographs — all day .
Domaine Joly de Lotbinière
I hope you enjoyed this small-scale visual taste of the gardens of Quebec !
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