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The David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens

TITLE SLIDE - The David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, Janet Rosenberg & Studio

LANDSCAPE SITE PLAN with LOCATOR PLAN.

Period postcard of The Rock Garden, circa 1937, meaning shortly after its dedication.

Rendering by JRS of the proposed visual experience in The Rock Garden to convey the design intentions, and which assisted fund-raising during the masterplan and implementation phases.

Through its program, the new Visitor Centre, along with The Dalglish Family Courtyard, consolidate the entrances into The Rock Garden, and host events such as weddings and concerts.

The new entry garden, formally named The Dalglish Family Courtyard, is a design essay on the quarry expressed through stone, water, and rockery plantings.

The water feature in The Dalglish Family Courtyard expresses the origin and continuity of the water features on the site.

The new Visitor Centre was the result of a close collaboration with the architects in order to establish a strong link with the site in terms of access and reach, as well as program.

The spring celebration “The Land of Luna” in 2016 coincided with the public opening of The Rock Garden and included dramatic lighting and live music throughout the garden.

The scope in the landsape architecture included new walkways as well as opportunities to cross the water channel and rest on furnishings that are barrier-free.

The descent into the bowl of the former quarry is guided by a contemporary signage and wayfinding system that also provides entry points that are barrier-free in the visitor experience.

The repair and restoration of damaged features on the pathways, as well as the introduction of new ones, has broadened the understanding of the collection to the public by increasing its exposure.

In the transition from the elevated table lands into the former quarry both water and visitor circulation complement each other in the reading of the site.

Panoramic late summer view of the garden with the plantings taking hold in their first season, and showing the ease and comfort in circulating in the garden and its parallel with the water channel.

The transformation has rejuvenated the garden’s footprint and holdings with the introduction of perennials which offer more color and greater stability over the previous dependence on spring bulbs.

The bold colors in the horticultural design reinforce the increased diversity by expanding the range of species to produce a sustainable plan with increased environmental benefits.

The design relies on flower, foliage, fall color and fruit to add seasonal interest, as well as best practices to include pollinator-friendly plants, native species, and a broad range of drought-tolerant species.

The transformation of this signature garden has respected the look and feel of the iconic heritage garden. Detailed planting records by JRS will increase the educational value of the collection.

The forested rock walls of the former quarry provide a dramatic three-dimensional backdrop which reinforces the sensory experiences of wonder in this very earthly garden.

The expanded water feature creates a continuous meandering channel in the bowl of the garden which connects with the surrounding table lands, reinforcing the continuity in the experience.

Visitors are surrounded by 28,000 new plants in over 750 species, bringing the garden’s total to 143,800 plants in 2,411 species, as well as 277 bird species and 37 mammal species.

BACK TO AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE PAGE

Google Street View

2017 Large-Scale Public Landscape Designed by a Landscape Architect (over 5 ha)

The David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens

Janet Rosenberg & Studio Inc.

The objective was to increase public visibility and presence for The Rock Garden; and was achieved through a masterplan that, now implemented, improves accessibility and circulation to all areas for all guests, provides a venue to host events all year, and introduces sustainable planting characterized by environmental benefits to infrastructure.

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