With great anticipation, Canada's newest botanical garden, Whistling Gardens, will be open to the public this year. Approximately 18 acres will be opened and contains nearly 4 kilometres of walking paths.
This has been a dream of Darren's for over 30 years and the most daunting task of his horticultural career. Although many of the gardens were already designed years ago, transforming a farm to suit some of the designs has been the ultimate challenge to say the least. In many ways Whistling Gardens start was the classic case of buying of the swampland in Florida scenario. The water table is extremely high and springs are prevalent through the lower portion of the farm making it difficult to work the land at any time of the year. Now, gardens exist today where the land has never been farmed.
Darren will guide us along this challenging, exciting, and rewarding journey.
Darren Heimbecker worked at a nursery for 18 years as a propagator, shipper and field manager before branching out on his own. Whistling Gardens got its official start in 2006. Since then, he has attracted garden savvy plant collectors from across Canada and the United States. His conifer collection is the largest in Canada with over 1500 different species and cultivars. When the gardens officially open, it will be one of the largest public collections in the world.