Heritage Gardens

The Heritage Gardens are one of the active ingredients that turns the Homestead from a simple collection of old buildings into a living museum.  They are a sight to behold, especially once the gardening season is well under way. There is always something blossoming, blooming or fruiting. The gardens are seeded with traditional heirloom plants typically grown on a homestead between the mid 1800s through to the early 1900s. These gardens provide visitors with an incredible opportunity to take in the beauty of organic simplicity. If you’re timing is just right, you can consult with the Heritage Gardeners on their historic methods and the preservation of heritage plant species.

Heritage seeds can be purchased at our O’Hara Corner Store (in the Museum House) which is open during our seasonal events.

When our volunteers began developing the gardens several years ago, they started from scratch.  Since then, and in the spirit of recreating what the O’Hara’s once tended to, the Heritage Gardens have expanded into a lovely parlour garden, a hearty herb garden, and a fruitful vegetable garden. 

When possible during the harvesting season, volunteers take fresh produce to the Madoc Food Bank.