A formal garden that’s been drawing visitors to rural St. Clair Township for more than a decade has been donated to a foundation supporting the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority and will remain open to the public.
A formal garden that’s been drawing visitors to rural St. Clair Township for more than a decade has been donated to a foundation supporting the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority and will remain open to the public.
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Greenhill Gardens, a 2.4-hectare (six-acre) garden the late Joy and Bill Robson began creating in 2008 on family-owned farmland at Wilkesport Line and Indian Creek Road west of Wilkesport, is part of 40.1 hectares (100 acres) donated recently to the St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation.
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The garden has ponds, a waterfall and fountain, trails, seating areas, plantings, a covered bridge, access roads, parking areas, and a cabin, all open free to visitors.
“Mr. and Mrs. Robson built that garden area in the one corner of the property, mostly for her to be able to go and enjoy, and allowed the public to access it,” said the authority’s Tim Payne. “Since their passing, the next generation wants to see it stay.”
The donation to the foundation also includes a 7.7-hectare (19-acre) woodlot and 30 hectares (74 acres) of agricultural land which will be rented out for farming.
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“We’re going to continue to have (the gardens) open to the public,” Payne said about the gardens. “There will be no cost at this point.”
The site is open seven days a week, from dawn to dusk.
It has been used for weddings, group photos and other special events over the years and the foundation is formalizing the process for such bookings which will now be available for a fee to help maintain the gardens. For details, contact Payne at 519-245-3710. ext. 224, or by e-mail at [email protected].
“Hopefully, in the next couple of months, we’re going to get an online booking system up and going,” Payne said.
“With land donations comes expense and liability, so we’re certainly looking at ways we can sustain the maintenance on that property moving forward,” he said.
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The site will be managed for the foundation by conservation authority staff, Payne said. “This is going to be a bit of a learning curve for us this year as we take over the maintenance.”
In a statement, the foundation said it is “thankful to the Robson family for this donation and looks forward to working with our community to continue to offer a place they can find beauty and relaxation.”
The foundation said it has received 19 land donations totaling 533 hectares (1,317 acres) with a value of $7 million.
It accepts donations of land furthering the authority’s objectives by preserving important natural features.
The foundation also raises money to support authority programs, such as flooding and erosion risks, while promoting water and land stewardship, forestry, wildlife habitat creation, conservation education, and outdoor recreation in an area of Southwestern Ontario including the Sydenham River watershed and smaller watersheds draining directly into southern Lake Huron, the St. Clair River and northeastern Lake St. Clair.
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