Maplelawn Garden is a rare example of a 19th-century walled garden. Located in the Westboro neighbourhood of Ottawa, it falls under the jurisdiction of the National Capital Commission. One-acre in size, it is a classical four-square plan of flower beds with an oval bed at its center. It is enclosed on three sides by rough-dressed limestone walls, a rare find from the early 19th century. Within the seclusion of the garden, the spacing, orchestration of colour and varieties of plants, provide beauty and fragrance.
The house and the walled garden are very well preserved and show how European architectural and landscaping concepts were transplanted to Canada. Historical records were consulted to choose the plants, shrubs, and trees.
Maplelawn is a place where the history of Bytown/Ottawa can be communicated, in particular the successive ownership of three families: the Thomsons, the Coles, and the Rochesters. The ‘fourth family’, the Friends of Maplelawn Garden, are volunteers who have ‘answered the call’ since 1993 by selflessly giving back to the community in their ongoing commitment to the stewardship of Maplelawn Garden.
Maplelawn is an official National Historic Site. Thanks to the NCC and the Friends of Maplelawn, this horticultural legacy in all its classical symmetry will continue to delight visitors with its beauty, its air of repose, and its rich historical associations.
