• Governor
The northward expansion of the Fort in the early 1850s was accompanied by the construction of Government House and the stone Governor’s Gate. The gardens in this area of the fort were also laid out. An oval ornamental garden was planted between the house and the gate. It was supplemented by a fruit garden, a kitchen garden, and trees for fruit and shade.

Little is known about the plants that grew in the oval Governor’s Garden. But we can guess at its contents. There was a movement in the mid to late 19th Century away from more formal French garden styles to the English cottage garden style, which would include dense clusters of ornamental plants, and that is what has been selected for today’s garden.

The Governor’s Garden contains a mix of perennial plants including lilacs, honeysuckle, bellflower, chrysanthemum, larkspur, baby’s breath, daylily, hydrangea, and daisy. At the north end of the garden, a majestic elm stands as a remnant of the original Gate Park of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

Portions of this garden are planted and maintained by the Manitoba Master Gardener Association.

Location in the Park