Farm attractions

The Arboretum covers about 26 hectares (64.2 acres) of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive and the Rideau Canal. It displays a wide range of well-established trees and shrubs, various soil types and moisture levels.

The Arboretum is free of charge and open every day to the public from sunrise to sunset.

The Gardens cover an area of approximately 3.2 hectares (8 acres) and have been a favorite site for wedding parties and photographers since they opened in the 1880's.

The Ornamental Gardens are composed of a number of different areas:

• the perennial collection
• the rock garden
• the rose garden
• the annual garden
• the Macoun sunken garden
• the Macoun Memorial Garden
• the hedge collections

Features of the Gardens include:

• 100 types of irises.
• 125 different lilac varieties, including a number of "Preston lilacs" developed by Ottawa researcher, Isabella Preston.
• 65 different plant species in the two hedge collections. The "old" hedge collection contains plantings dating to 1891, while the "new" hedge collection dates from 1965.
• the Explorer series of roses developed at the CEF and renowned for its winter hardiness.

The Gardens are open, free of charge, to the public.