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Field Trip: the Almonte Area 1994
Yearbook 1995 page 10 Back to the web versionJim Bossert and Cathy Black organized a three-stop field trip for July 9. Excellent weather saw the group of O.H.S. members assisted by a well-prepared map and clear instructions arrive at White House Perennials, near Almonte. There Sue and Sandy Patry have developed a spectacular garden and nursery.
By gradually pushing the forest back the Patrys grow a wide variety of plants in various spaces, e.g. a shaded area, a scree, a bog, a stream and pool. Interesting statuettes enlivened the borders. Some developments are in the building stage, all the more interesting to the viewers. Sue's special interest is in daylilies of which she has 400 of the 30,000 available cultivars. There were also 25 varieties of hosta, astilbes shading from white to red and many other varieties all enthusiastically introduced by Sue. Some of the cultivars were available for sale.
We wholeheartedly recommend that anyone interested in purchasing perennials pay a visit to White House Perennials. Phone ahead (613) 256-3406. It is located on the Rea Side Road about 1.2 km west of County Road 15. The Rea Side Road is about 4 km south of the intersection of County Road 15 and Highway 44.
By contrast with the Patrys perennials, our second stop was to see the spectacular display of annuals at the garden of Margaret and Norm Inwood.
Their huge lawns framed by mass plantings provided a jewel-like effect amongst the wooded surroundings. The Inwoods grow their thousands of plants from seed and have designed their own formal landscaping.
This very hospitable couple also invited us to enjoy our lunch from the balcony of their home overlooking blue Gillies Lake.
From the finely cultivated gardens of the Patrys and the Inwoods, some of us continued to a natural garden at the Purdon Conservation Area. There the Mississippi Conservation Authority has made accessible to visitors a unique fen woodland.
The boardwalks and stairways revealed a fascinating colony of Showy Lady's Slipper orchids. We were a bit late to see the many thousands in full bloom but there were still hundreds! Pitcher plants, blue iris and other indigenous plants added to the serene charm of the fen.
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