Chapter 1 Women and Their Gardens

Reford Gardens

Watercolour painting of Elsie standing in front of a large white house. The house is surrounded by green bushes and flowers. Elsie is wearing a hat, a white shirt, a coral jacket, and a blue skirt.

Hello! 
Welcome to my gardens! I hope you’ll love them as much as I do! I spend almost every summer here. In my big house surrounded by flowers, it’s pure joy! Salmon fishing in the Mitis River, hosting friends, and most of all—gardening. I love gardening! I never have time to be bored!

Northern Gardens

I created the Reford Gardens between 1926 and 1958, on an estate that was passed down to me by my uncle, George Stephen. The Reford Gardens are located in Grand-Métis, a village about 300 kilometres from Québec City, north of the 48th parallel. That’s pretty far north! It’s often cold here. Since I love gardening, I had to get creative to grow a garden in these conditions. Today, you’ll find more than 3,000 species and varieties of plants here!
 

The Long Walk at the Reford Gardens, 2021
In this colour photograph, the symmetry of the Long Walk takes centre stage. A path made of large stones divides the image right down the middle. Two flower beds filled with white lilies and roses are bordered by lilac bushes.

The Reford Gardens are a National Historic Site of Canada! In other words, it’s a treasured place. A team of gardeners works to preserve the landscapes I created. Some of the plants here are nearly 100 years old! More than a million people from around the world have visited my gardens—who would have thought?

Elsie Reford posing in the Long Walk, circa 1930
Elsie is posing in the Long Walk, where she is observing a sundial. More than fifty blooming lilies surround her. Their fragrance drifts with the breeze from the St. Lawrence River. In the foreground of this black-and-white photograph, her dog is lying on the large stones of the path.
Elsie Reford in her gardens, circa 1935
In this black-and-white photograph, Elsie is wearing a gardening apron. She is posing in the Stream Garden, surrounded by lilies. Standing near a birdbath, she holds a basket in her left hand. In the background, a few spruces line the Page stream. One can easily imagine the scent of the lilies and the gentle sound of flowing water.

Hello!

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