the Herb Garden

Greetings...

And so our seventh season begins! It promises to be a busy and exciting one.

Come and enjoy the changes we have made and are continuing to make at “the Herb Garden”. The display gardens are being revamped with several new theme beds and upgrades to others. The labyrinth will see more planting and tidier edging. Our “Century Barn” is being transformed with the renovation of the haymow into a wonderful space with lighting and seating.

The season starts with our “Giant Yard Sale” on Saturday May 1st. Come to sell; come to browse, shop and eat. Other favourites are back – “Birding”, “Herbology for Kids”, “Mothers’ Day Buffet Brunch”, and, of course, “Herbfest” for its 15th year.

We have added several new events to our schedule, including - a “Children’s Container Workshop” on May 29th, our first annual “100 Mile Meal” on September 16th and “Potting Night” on September 22nd. Details of these can be found on our “Events” page.

Back, after a two-year hiatus, is the “Company of Fools” comedy Shakespeare troupe [fools.ca] on the evening of Friday July 30th. They will be presenting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. If you have not experienced their very funny interpretations of Shakespeare’s works, you are in for a real treat.

You are also welcome to visit the Herb Garden and “do nothing”. Stroll through our display gardens, walk the labyrinth and the wetland trail, view the art in the Bergamot Barn, sit on the patio behind the barn, picnic. This is one of the most tranquil places you will find in the Ottawa area.

And, of course, we sell the widest variety of potted herbs in the Ottawa region!

We look forward to meeting customers, old and new, at the Garden.

Bergamot Barn Art Gallery

The Bergamot Barn was built in the 1860's as a barn to house pigs, sheep and other farm animals.

In 2003, it was completely renovated. The entire building was raised, the inside walls were sandblasted back to the original cedar log colour and a verandah was added to the back of the building. In 2004, a stone patio was built behind the barn with a large green basil leaf in the centre.

Each month of our season, we have a different artist’s work in the gallery. The cedar walls "show off" the pieces beautifully.

We invite you to come and view the artists' works. Bring a picnic if you wish and make a day of it!

Artists 2010

• May – Catherine Gutsche
• June – Kathy Haycock
• July - Rosy Somerville
• August – To be announced
• September – To be announced

Weddings

Your wedding day should be one of the most memorable days of your life. We will work with you to make this a reality. We want you to feel comfortable, enabling you to organize and experience your wedding day exactly as you envisioned it.

Our location, just twenty minutes west of Scotiabank Place [at the corner of Old Almonte Road and Upper Dwyer Hill Road] is easily located by your out of town guests. There is signage on all major roads leading to the Herb Garden. There are several bed and breakfasts in Almonte, 10 minutes away, particularly Menzies House 1850 Bed and Breakfast

We offer a beautiful setting for your wedding. Our gazebo, situated beside our stunning display gardens, is the perfect place to hold your ceremony. There are many wonderful spots for picture taking including our gorgeous old barns, the labyrinth and, of course, the display gardens themselves.

Small wedding receptions can be hosted inside our beautifully renovated 150 year old Bergamot Barn. For larger receptions, a tent can be set up close to the barn and can be used for dancing or bar or buffet setup. Your caterer will appreciate the large canopy, set up beside the barn, exclusively for their use. There is ample parking available for your guests.

the Herb Garden is available for set up, ceremony, reception and take-down from Thursday to Monday.

Please call to set an appointment to visit us, view the property and discuss how we can assist you to have your special day your way.

Our Wedding Photo Gallery

Wedding Photo Gallery

2010 Events

Tuesday June 1

Customer Appreciation Day

• No tax on Gift Shop items

• Complimentary tea from 1 PM to 3PM

Saturday June 5 and Sunday June 6

Doors Open Ottawa – 10 AM to 5 PM

• View our Heritage Century Barn, circa 1830

• Interpretations by Mary Meehan [former owner and farmer] and Neil Harwig of “Harwig Heritage Carpentry” at 2:30 PM each day

• No charge

Saturday June 19

Mugworts Herbology for Kids – Session 2 - 9 AM to 12 PM

• “Sprouts Semester – Herbs as Food”

• Activity – Making pesto, salad, trying different teas

• $25.00 per child

• Reservations required

click to enlarge

* NEW * Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk - 6:30 to 8:30 PM

• Labyrinth Walk and Sacred Circle Dances

• Refreshments following

• $20.00 per person / $30.00 per family

• Reservations required

• see Labyrinth for details

HerbFest

“Herbfest” has been an Ottawa Valley tradition for thirteen years and is a must-attend event for those interested in herbs, gardening, cooking and living a healthy lifestyle. There are a wide variety of fun activities to get involved in. There's something for every member of the family to enjoy.

Herbfest is held every year on the grounds of “the Herb Garden”. The main highlight of the festival is the amazing range of vendors that participate every year. Many have been coming for ten years or more, but many talented new vendors are added each year. Last year there were some 90 vendors representing a vast array of products and services. Most vendors are from the Ottawa Valley, but some come from the far reaches of Ontario and Québec.

Every year there are also a wide variety of culinary treats to savour in the food fair. Come early and enjoy breakfast with a cup of locally roasted fair-trade coffee. For lunch you choose from a variety of wholesome choices including some ethnic favourites. Later in the day slow down the pace in the beer garden.

Throughout the day there are lots of activities to enjoy including live music, dance and demonstrations galore. The Chef' Cook-off and garden tours are also popular every year. There's a full day of activities available so come early and stay late. There are lots of places to explore and get away from the crowds. Washroom facilities and lots of low-cost parking are available on site. There is truly something for everyone at Herbfest!

Visit the HerbFest website for details about the day.

Our Labyrinth

Welcome to the Herb Garden labyrinth. Having a labyrinth in the setting of an herb garden is a natural partnering of healing energies. Walking the labyrinth can be a powerful tool to support the healing of body, mind and spirit and, of course, many herbs have healing attributes.

The labyrinth is an ancient spiral circle pattern, a sacred symbol, that can be traced back over 4,000 years. The spiral and circle are the most basic forms found in nature. The circle expresses wholeness and unity and is considered a universal symbol of transformation. In its long history and both sacred and secular uses, the labyrinth has crossed cultures and religious traditions.

The Classical Family of labyrinths, sometimes called the Cretan, is the oldest form of the labyrinth, and is most commonly found as the 7-circuit. The Herb Garden labyrinth is a five-circuit Classical style. The creators of this labyrinth call it a Goddess Labyrinth and there is a goddess image you can see as you enter the labyrinth. Since ancient times, the Divine Mother, Earth Mother Goddess, who nurtures and protects but also empowers us to go into the world with courage and integrity, has been repeatedly linked with labyrinths. The circular labyrinth represents and celebrates the feminine principle, the cycle of life/death/rebirth, intuition, relationship, community, reverence for nature. It offers us a new way of seeing ourselves, each other, and our world.

On Saturday June 19th, we will be hosting a “Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk and Sacred Circle Dance”.

The experience of Sacred Circle Dancing brings balance by awakening the Feminine energy, the intuitive, inspirational self. It reconnects us to our ancient roots, to the Earth, to the stars, and to each other. We dance with the seasons, the leaping deer, the circling moon, the galaxies spiraling in the heavens. We dance to stillness and to inner peace, empowered to choreograph and dance our own life as part of the Great Dance of Life.

YogaFest

YogaFest is a meeting of mind, body, spirit, and nature. It provides a forum to educate the citizens of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley about the importance of eating locally produced food and practicing modalities such as Yoga, and other forms of physical exercise.

YogaFest includes a wide variety of activities, healing modalities and alternative therapies that fit under the umbrella of yoga and healthy living. There is a labyrinth to walk through, a meditation area, a demonstration area to showcase different types of yoga and other physical practices, group talks and presentations about meditation, yoga, healthy living, nutrition and more.

Visit the YogaFest website for details about the day.

Brunch and Dinners

Again this season, we team up with Bonnie and Paul of “Savoury Pursuits Catering “of Almonte to bring you our Mother’s Day Buffet Brunch and theme dinners. The cost for brunch and the dinners is $29.95 per person. Reservations can be made by calling “the Herb Garden” at 613-256-0228.

Mother’s Day Brunch will be served on Sunday May 9th with Lucas Haneman playing acoustic jazz guitar. Sitting times are 10:00, 11:30 and 1:00.

Our Thai Buffet Dinner will be presented on Thursday August 19th. The menus are below. Sitting times are 6:00 and 7:30 PM.

Book early. Don’t be disappointed.

Mother's Day Brunch Menu

Wholewheat Bread With Basil and Sundried Tomatoes *Curried Squash Soup *Gazpacho Soup With Cilantro *Our Signature Stuffed French Toast With Braised Fruit And Lanark County Maple Syrup *Kids Bearpaw Pancakes *Poached Eggs In Smoked Salmon Dill Mornay Sauce *Apple, Stilton and Tarragon Quiche *Tomato, Feta, Basil Quiche *Ham, Roasted Garlic And Swiss Quiche *Brie, Braised Red Onion And Peach Quiche *Poached Eggs With Asparagus *Three Peppercorn Encrusted Roast Beef *Turkey Breast Stuffed With Sorrel And Wild Rice *Stuffed Pork Loin Roast With Sage, Apricots And Raisins *Smoked Peameal Bacon *Market Garden Salad With Baby Greens And Edible Flowers *Warm Blackened Potato Salad With Capers And Balsamic Vinaigrette *Lavender Cookies *Warm Chocolate Mint Torte *Fresh Berry Shortcakes With Lemon Verbena Cream *Herbal Teas

Thai Buffet Dinner Menu

Thai Rice Paper Rolls - Vegetarian and Shrimp *Thai Crisp Spring Rolls - Vegetarian and Pork [Both Served with Warm Peanut Sauce and Sweet and Sour Sauce] *Ginger, Lemongrass and Vegetable Soup *Cucumber Salad *Thai Greens *Thai Coconut Red Curry with Chicken *Green Curried Vegetables *Yellow Curried Beef *Pork and Vegetables in Satay Sauce (Peanut Sauce) *Pad Thai *Jasmine Rice *Deep-Fried Bananas *Sticky Rice with Mango

100 Mile Buffet Dinner

Menu details to follow...

About Us

Hours of Operation

May 1 to August 31

OPEN – Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
CLOSED - Monday

CLOSED - Monday to Thursday
OPEN - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM

[Open some evenings for special events. Please refer to Events.]

Contact and
Location info

the Herb Garden
3840 Old Almonte Road
Ottawa Ontario K0A 1A0
Tel – 613-256-0228
Fax – 613-256-7134

Email us: George & Gerry

Directions

The Herb Garden is nestled in the Ottawa Valley, about 45 km west of Parliament Hill towards Almonte. We are easy to find - located just east of the Upper Dwyer Hill Road on the Old Almonte Road.

From Ottawa Central and East take Highway 417 west to the Highway 7 exit. Highway 7 west to the first traffic light at Upper Dwyer Hill Road. Turn north [right] on Upper Dwyer for about 6 kilometres to Old Almonte Road. Turn right on Old Almonte Road and look for our sign at our driveway.

From Ottawa South take Fallowfield Road to Dwyer Hill Road. Turn north [right]. Cross Highway 7 and continue north on Upper Dwyer Hill Road for about 6 kilometres to Old Almonte Road. Turn right on Old Almonte and look for our sign at our driveway.

If you are using a GPS device to find “the Herb Garden”, put the city location as either “Ottawa” or “Carp”. Do not use “Almonte” as you will be misdirected.

If you need more information than the map provides, please phone ahead for specific directions.

NATURAL DYEING AND FELTING

MAKE A FELTED MEDICINE POUCH AND A LEAF FOR THE “HERB-TREE INSTALLATION” PROJECT

TAKE A 1 OR 2 DAY WORKSHOP

DAY 1

• Introduction
• Guided tour of the Herb Garden
• Guided tour of theme gardens
• Natural dye plants
• Canadian Aboriginal plants

MORNING

Introduction to plants, dyes, mordants, wool fleece, natural yarns and resulting colours

Demonstrations Individual dying and charting of samples

LUNCH

Bring your own picnic

AFTERNOON

• Felting demonstration
• Make your own felted medicine pouch or treasure keeper
• Make a felted leaf to add to the HERB GARDEN “Herb-Tree Installation”
• (Group sculpture)
• For two day participants – discussion of project options

HAND-OUTS

• Dye chart Felting instructions
• Link web-sites
• Suppliers

DAY 2 - NEW STUDENTS: REPEAT OF DAY ONE COURSE CONTENT

DAY TWO STUDENTS:

• One day natural dye and felting project

• Options

  Own project

  Native wrapping cloth

  Shoulder purse

  Picture / Piece for framing

COST:

$125 PER DAY, PER PERSON - Reservations at 613.256.0228

Hand-outs supplied

Bring your own or purchase your lunch

Refreshment provided 2 x each day

WORKSHOP SUPPLIES $20 per person per day