Canadensis Garden Fall Celebration 🍁

🍂Celebrate nature in all its Fall splendour at the site of the future Botanical Garden of Canada 🍂

Saturday, October 1 | 10 – 4
Canadensis Garden, Experimental Farm
Prince of Wales Drive at Hartwell’s Locks Lane (K2C 3K1)
FREE Family Fun | FREE Parking

🎨Botanical Themed Art Expo and Sale
LapisDragon Arts
Ottawa Guild of Potters
Foyer Gallery
Ottawa Society of Botanical Artists
Beyond the Edge Artist Installations: Meet creators Gayle Hermick (Red Stiletto) & Jesse Stewart (Row By Row, Erratic Grass)

🎃Family Fun Activities
Horse-drawn wagon rides
Children’s Art activities – Pumpkin and clay pot painting
Food concessions

🌱Garden Themed Activities
Canadensis Garden site tour, including plans for the Botanical Garden of Canada
Master Gardeners (Ask The Expert)
A Forest Bathing Experience
Tree planting and ecology Ottawa seedling giveaway

Celebrate Nature in all its Fall Splendour
The future site of Canada’s National Botanical Garden is teaming with 
free family fun, art and horticultural activities this Saturday

This Saturday, October 1st, organizers of the Canadensis Garden Fall Celebration bring together fun activities and creative people for interactive fun and unique learning experiences. All events take place at Canadensis Garden which occupies a 34-acre parcel of land at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa and where plans are developing to build a national botanical garden of international appeal in the heart of the nation’s capital. “Canadensis will be a beautiful and diverse botanic garden.” says Canadensis Chair, Gérald Lajeunesse.
 
“Our Fall Celebration not only provides visitors of all ages with educational, interactive and enjoyable experiences, we’re promoting a deeper understanding of our intimate interdependence with nature, showcasing the positive impact of gardens and gardening on our environment and wellbeing and inspiring others to join and support our movement to build a national botanical garden in Ottawa” he adds.

For Lajeunesse who completed his long career at the National Capital Commission (NCC), as Chief Landscape and Project Director and whose  accomplishments span over three decades of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, contributing to the enhancement of the quality of life of his community has been a lifelong passion.

In addition to a one-day botanical art expo and sale featuring works by artists from multiple local art organizations including the Ottawa Guild of Potters and LapisDragon Arts, art-lovers will enjoy exploring Beyond the Edge: Artists’ Gardens. First launched in 2014  in partnership with the Canada Council Art Bank, the Exhibit now features 10- site-specific large scale artworks by multiple artists. Including the 2022 installation “Red Stilettos”. The brainchild of Landscape Architect and local artist Mary Faught, these massive artworks are meant to honour, query, and ‘dig into’ the land. As each season passes, the installations evolve to reinforce the notion that nature as medium allows for unbridled creativity.

For children and families the Canadensis Garden Fall Celebration has interactive make-and-take art activities like flower pot painting and free pumpkins to paint and take home plus horse drawn wagon rides. For garden enthusiasts, Master Gardeners will be onsite to offer free advice, Ecology Ottawa will be there giving away free seedlings and there will be guided site tours that include plans for the future National Botanical Garden of Canada. 

“Ottawa has always had a thriving garden culture and the Canadensis Garden Fall Celebration is a great opportunity for everyone to get outdoors on a beautiful Fall day and enjoy all we have to offer.” says Michel Gauthier, President of Gardens Ottawa.“ 

Canadensis Garden Fall Celebration takes place during Canada’s National Year of the Garden and is produced in partnership with Gardens Ottawa and last month’s inaugural Ottawa Garden Festival with support from Canadian Heritage and many dedicated volunteers. 

Festival Highlights
Botanical Themed Art Expo and Sale
LapisDragon Arts
Ottawa Guild of Potters
Foyer Gallery
Ottawa Society of Botanical Artists
Beyond the Edge Artist Installations: Meet creators Gayle Hermick (Red Stilettos, on site 10am-2pm) & Jesse Stewart (Row By Row, Erratic Grass, Prismatic Grass, on site from Noon-4pm) 

Family Fun Activities
Horse-drawn wagon rides (11am-4pm)
Pumpkin and clay pot painting
Food concessions

Garden Themed Activities
Canadensis Garden site tour including plans for the Botanical Garden of Canada
Master Gardeners (Ask The Expert)
Forest Bathing Experience 
Tree planting & Ecology Ottawa seedling giveaway

-30-

About Canadensis Garden
Canadensis is a New Latin term used in Taxonomy to describe species of plants that are native to Canada. The Canadensis Garden occupies a 34-acre parcel of land at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa where plans are developing to create a national botanical garden of international appeal in the heart of the nation’s capital. As a designated National Historic Site and Cultural Landscape, the location at the Central Experimental Farm is already one of Ottawa’s major attractions. Comprising the Dominion Arboretum, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ornamental Gardens, Greenhouses, Heritage buildings and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, these features of the Farm form a cluster of complementary assets.

Ottawa is the only G20 capital city without a botanical garden. Canadensis Botanical Garden Society members and volunteers share the vision for designing and funding a national botanical garden on the very grounds first envisaged for this use over 130+ years ago and creating a legacy benefiting all Canadians for generations to come.  Significant economic benefits to the Capital Region from The Garden will be derived from increased tourism, initial construction activity and annual operating expenditures. 

About Gardens Ottawa
Gardens Ottawa is the voice of the Ottawa gardening community. The organization encourages recognizing the value and potential that gardens, gardening activities and gardening provide to our community, physical and mental health, and environment. Since its founding, it continues to support the dream of having Ottawa recognized as “A City of Gardens”.

USEFUL LINKS
Ottawa Garden Festival: https://ottawagardenfestival.ca/ | Canadensis: https://jardincanadensisgarden.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OttawaGardenFestival | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Canadensis
Instagram: @ottawagardenfestivaldujardin
Hashtags: #OttawaGardenFestival #FestivalDuJardinOttawa #Canadensis

Media Contact:  
Aqilah Rahim, 613-986-9094, press@kowpr.com