The new Quinte Botanical Gardens in southeastern Ontario offers a beautiful and educational experience for visitors of all ages. Situated on a six-acre site in Frankford, Ont., the gardens were developed by Deanna Groves and John Reidl, who operate The Garden Place landscape design and installation business.
After a decade of planning and a year of hard work, the gardens officially opened in August 2017.
The gardens are conveniently located an hour from both Peterborough and Kingston and just 15 minutes from the Canadian Forces base in Trenton. They are supported by 41 businesses that have sponsored portions of the gardens with labor or materials, 15 volunteers, and nine tourism organizations.
A small grant from the New Horizons for Seniors Program has allowed them to build a garden gazebo and offer free talks by professionals on topics important to seniors.
Deanna and John are no strangers to creating beautiful gardens, having developed around 255 gardens through their landscaping business. With business backgrounds, they have brought a strong foundation to the Quinte Botanical Gardens project.
The gardens feature various themes, including a formal rose garden, an English garden, an edible garden, and an interactive seniors’ garden with raised beds to encourage gentle participation. Each garden is designed to offer a unique experience and to educate visitors about the many benefits of gardening and spending time in nature.
The Quinte Botanical Gardens is not just a beautiful place to visit, but also an important catalyst for tourism in the region. According to John, local restaurants, stores, hotels, and service stations will also benefit. Besides, reports have proven to show that botanical gardens act as a gateway to a region, creating more of a variety of things to see and do.
