Tickets coming soon!
1 – Fort Whyte Alive
Fort Whyte Alive’s pollinator garden is bursting with the colour of wildflowers and native prairie plants. They plant to fight climate change, promote biodiversity and protect pollinators. Come tour their spectacular beds for free and benefit from our Nature Manitoba plant sale and LAST MINUTE TICKET sale at the entrance!
2 - Jennifer and Gord Miles
Our front garden is many things: a densely planted matrix of flowy grasses and flowering plants, a xeriscaped, deer-resistant, pollinator-friendly oasis inspired by Woodruff and Oudolf, and beautiful in all seasons. It’s a naturalistic style planting with an emphasis on plant texture, structure, and contrast. The flagstone pathways invite you to stroll and peruse. Wander around to the back garden to find a private sanctuary ringed by mature trees, with raised beds mingling veggies and flowers, an herb spiral, and perennial borders, all thriving with only organic amendments. Welcome.
3 - Richard Balasko
In 1988, we moved into our 100-year-old home surrounded by massive elms and oaks. After a disastrous start, having planted colourful sun loving perennials, we made a big switch, planting woodland shade gardens, anchored by many varieties of hostas, Asiatic and day lilies, ferns and more.
Then last year, a combination of destructive thunderstorms and disease took several trees with the result that much of our shade gardens are now full sun gardens. We thought, “what a disaster” but came to welcome it as just another change to the evolving tapestry which is our yard.
4 - Esther Chen
"Esther is both a talented florist and a skilled landscaper. Her garden is a harmonious blend of two of her favorite styles: the serene of Zen Garden and the charm of an English garden. Passionate about nurturing life, she often rescues dying trees and shrubs from her projects, giving them a second chance to thrive in her yard. While her garden is primarily filled with vibrant perennials, she also grows an array of cut flowers from seed, perfect for her floral arrangements."
5 - Fred Durkee
Gardening is my favorite hobby. I can spend many hours every day working in my garden and being there makes me feel happy and I forget about the troubles of the world. I got introduced to gardening by my late wife. Each year I plant my garden in her memory. Over the years I have planted perennials and annuals of flowering varieties both in the ground and in pots. The flowers attract bees and butterflies, and it is the best sight in the world. There are roses, lilacs, peonies, hostas and hydrangeas and many more flowers to look at. Also, I have four fountains that you can enjoy as you walk thorough my garden.
6 - Becki McMurray Thiessen
We moved to this house in 2018, and since then we have been transforming the basic lawn into an ever-blooming oasis of Manitoba climate hardy perennial beds where we enjoy relaxing all summer. It's a balancing act to choose plants for the front yard that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds without becoming a buffet for neighborhood deer and rabbits! We love our backyard sanctuary, where we enjoy a variety of plants shared by friends and family, beautiful reminders of previous homes and loving connections.
7 - Donna Cheung
The highlight of our summer is our colourful and robust garden.
Every fall we collect from our garden’s bulbs, rhizomes, elephant ears, geranium and coleus plants to over-winter under lights to ensure that they have a new life come spring. Ferns and hosta from our back gardens have been tucked into pots and planters in the spring and everyday house plants get to enjoy a summer life outside. As a gardener I cherish the wisdom of my Grandfather ..."Canada is a great next year country"
8 - Andy Janik and Mike Killen
Our garden has been a 25-plus year labor of love. Blood sweat and tears as well, but we all know this. It has changed over the years, different plants, different visions, different size, to what we have today. I imagine it will keep changing forever. I like to think of it as old English inspired. The plants grow into and with the plants next to them. They support each other as they grow and develop. We also have tried to make sure that there is something blooming throughout the season from early spring to late fall. I hope everyone enjoys our garden when you see it on the tour. See you there.
9 - Ellen Janzen
My gardens, both front and back, have been a happy, rewarding, and creative experience over the 17 years since we built our home. The front garden was a combined effort with my neighbour Katie. A dry creek bed with stone walls to make beds for the perennials. Take a stroll to the rear gardens along a slate pathway and enjoy a walk to the pond with a stream and waterfall and the raised vegetable garden. The yard has no lawn and is like a park with a large variety of trees, perennials, bushes, and roses. There are many native plants: Milkweed, Joe Pie Weed, Butterly Weed, Coneflower, Phlox, Rudbeckia. Birds, bees, and butterflies love to visit. Climbing vines are abundant: clematis, kiwi and a climbing rose. Enjoy!
10 - Katie and Tim Watters
In 2009 we moved to a new lot with a smaller easier yard; more time for golf, less time cutting the grass (6 minutes vs 1.25 hours) and hopefully fewer weeds . Katie’s sister, a landscape architect, helped us think about what we enjoyed about our previous yards and what we wanted going forward: room for future grandkids to play, eating outside on the deck, a vegetable garden, pond, gazebo and raspberries. The tiniest of front yards and little space between homes was going to be difficult. Fortunately, we have super neighbours willing to “share” a front yard garden plan and pathway!
11 - Loressa Klassen
“Creating an impactful garden in a small space can be challenging, but it’s worth dreaming large. I incorporated neighbouring plants to backdrop a sweeping border with mature trees and shrubs, lots of texture and colourful perennials. My goal was to create an easy-care landscape that brought beautiful views inside and curb appeal outside. The result is an intimate charming garden that lives large but is attainable and easy to maintain due to thoughtful plant choices and proper citing. I look forward to sharing it with you.”
12 - Len and Rita Giesbrecht
We moved here 30 years ago; I was a mow the lawn kind of guy. Shortly after we moved my wife Rita wanted a Rock Garden with a stream and pond beside the garage. It took almost all summer to accomplish and in the process, I got the gardening bug. We started with Irises, and I soon had to every different one I could find. Then I discovered Lilies, and the same thing happened. I became a member of the MRLS which only made it worse. Lilies became my favorites. I also got into Daylilies as I needed something that bloomed later in the season. Same result. I was hooked. Every day when we go for our walkabout there is something new blooming. From a totally lawn covered yard it evolved... flower beds everywhere and three small lawn patches. Our lives revolve around our gardens, and we enjoy it.
13 - Ken and Judy Hildebrand
Welcome to Old St. Norbert, birthplace of Manitoba and home to a special sanctuary. Influenced by Modernism (less is more) and Feng Shui (Yin and Yang), it is a place of contemplation, peace and renewal…a sanctuary from a world that is sometimes hard to understand. A place to tell stories around the campfire and to watch grandchildren run through the leaves in the fall. There is an orderliness, yet a roughness, like a Group of Seven painting. This is Falling Star; a place that love built.
14 - Louise May and Aynsleigh Kerchak
My childhood love of gardening has taken full bloom here at Aurora Farm where I have been gardening for over 20 years. These gardens express my personal connection to the land, to my own food sovereignty and to the needs of the larger community. Based on Indigenous teachings, Permaculture and Regenerative Agriculture, we have many themed gardens: my own Zone 1 food garden, Medicinal Moon Garden, Sisters’ Garden, Youth Camp Sun Tea Garden, Fireweed Garden for culinary herbs and edible flowers as well as our orchard interspersed throughout.
Written by volunteer gardeners participating in the 2025 Gardens of Distinction Garden Tour