1 of 3
James Stoness photos
Scullion Gardens - QC
Sylvia examines the flowers with rustic gazebo in the background
2 of 3
James Stoness photos
Scullion Gardens - QC
Visitor centre and restaurant
3 of 3
James Stoness photos
Scullion Gardens - QC
View from inside the visitor centre
Story & photos by James Stoness
You often find places of beauty when you least expect it. When a lady from Quebec Tourism suggested a visit to Jardin Scullion I wasn’t sure if a rural flower garden was worth the drive. It turned out to be a visit filled with hours of fabulous colour.
Scullion Gardens are located on the north side of Lake Saint John, a recreational lake north of Quebec City. You drive away from the lake into the less populated countryside, and the floral gardens appear suddenly. What looks like another old farm turns out to be acres and acres of flowers, shrubs and trees planted by artist and landscaper Brian Scullion. Here, over 2000 species of plants, specially selected for their hardiness, await visitors. And visitors come, from all over the world.
It’s not just the flowers that people enjoy, it’s also the fairyland scene of landscaping. Once you walk across the wooden arch bridge that spans the small ponds you are trapped into an endless maze of trails bordered by flowers and trees. Everywhere, adding to the pleasure are butterflies checking out the flowers, and tiny birds flitting from bush to bush, pausing only long enough to sing their hearts out.
As you walk along the path a spectacular brown-eyed Susan display backdropped by a patch of tall green grasses being tossed by the zephyr breezes seizes your attention. Hugging the path, a cluster display of reddish leafed plants with orange flowers towers over the patch, a striking contrast in colours. This seems to be the designer’s method. Mix highly coloured plants with quieter colours, and achieve outstanding results.
Brian Scullion has a passion for big rocks. His ability to move and place large limestone blocks to strategic positions grabs your attention, as does the myriad of small green plants and mosses that fill the cracks between the paving stones and crawl along their tops. The landscape is full of plants, yet spacious so you never feel crowded by the displays.
A little off the beaten path are the trails in the forest along the bog. Here, along the trails you will find hundreds of perennials, including carnivorous plants. Many of these species are imported from the Far East. It’s a nice place to relax, picnic, and study the massive variety of blooms. There is also a simulated camp of the type the woodcutters might have used long ago.
There is a special treat for those who visit the gardens at night. Staff have erected long rows of LED lights with over 7 km of wiring and 650 of the small bright LED lights. The resulting light effects show the flowers and trees in a different perspective. The wooden bridge can be very scenic on a quiet night when its lights are reflected in the pool below. They have a special night admission rate that includes the visit and a meal.
Kids have not been forgotten. They may not have a high interest in flowers and shrubs, but they will certainly enjoy the mini-farm and its animals. There is also a play area to help them wear off some of their energy so they will be content to follow you along the pathways. Everyone can enjoy a picnic and make use of the picnic tables, or go inside to the restaurant and take a rest. The wooden lodge with its restaurant is certainly worth a stop. On the inside walls are some terrific wall murals of scenes of animals and plants in the region. The total length of the murals is 100 meters and there are striking views of moose and other animals in their natural habitat. The rest area with seats and a view through tall windows to the gardens is very relaxing.
After you’ve walked until you are tired, and rested and eaten, you might stop by the nursery garden and see where the staff produce plants that can withstand the cold winters. You can also purchase a pot of flowers for your own flower garden at home.
The Lake Saint Jean area is part of the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean tourist region and has an abundance of visitor activities. It’s a very pretty region and the huge lake in places is backdropped by distant blue mountains. The encircling highway passes through forest, and field crops of blueberries, or grains. The lake is a favourite for kayaks, canoes, and boating. One should not leave out the fact that nice sandy beaches make up 40 km of the shoreline. The Zoo Sauvage de Saint Felicien is a great place to spend a day among the wild animals and beautiful birds. We found the Historic Village of Val Jalbert an excellent place to walk among old buildings, and climb the seemingly endless wooden steps to the upper part of the mountain to view the river and the waterfall up close. It also provided a great view of the lake region.
Of special note to bicyclists is the Veloroute des Bleuets, a fully paved 256 km bike path around the lake. And it’s not all in the wilderness as it passes through several towns, nudges campgrounds and restaurants, and other attractions.
If you find yourself visiting the Quebec region, swing north to the Lake Saint John area and sample a wide variety of activities, and don’t miss Jardin Scullion.
For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western novels. Visit his website at: www.stonesstravelguides.com