Our Gardens
Our Gardens
Diggin’ in the Dirt
Our Society makes an exceptional contribution to civic beautification through the maintenance of many gardens around Fergus. In their purple Society t-shirts, volunteers known as the “Diggin’ in the Dirt” group gather from spring to fall every Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. to maintain the town gardens, and afterwards, to enjoy a social get-together for a cup of coffee or tea.
If you are interested in joining, please contact Bev Dawson, Bert Peel or Marilyn Peel by sending an email to fergushorticulture@gmail.com
View pictures of our gardens
To see photos of the gardens, please click on the garden name below. The photos will appear at the end of this section.
Fergus Garden Walk
Several of the favorite gardens that the Diggers maintain have been combined into a recommended garden walk in downtown Fergus.
Feel free to print the accompanying map and use it for a noon-hour or weekend walk around town – and enjoy the gardens! Remember – the same gardens can look completely different with every visit – so the walk can be done again and again to see the gardens in their various seasons. Enjoy!
Created in 2022 by Lee-Ann Lennox
Templin Gardens
The Templin Gardens are one of the most best-known gardens of Fergus. These gardens are located in downtown Fergus beside the river, and have extensive stone walls and stairs to compliment the history and gardens of our town. Templin Gardens are almost 100 years old – as documented by a plaque in the garden and a poster mounted on the wall of a near-by store (see below).
Stone Plaque
Public Poster along St Andrew St
Tucked quietly in the heart of downtown Fergus and perched on the edge of the gorge, you will find Templin Gardens. Templin Gardens was commissioned in the late 1920s by J.C. Templin who was the Editor of the Fergus News Record. The loving gesture was a gift to his wife and ultimately to all who have had the pleasure of visiting here.
The gardens began as a vacant lot on the south side of St Andrew St, and took nearly 10 years to construct. Due to the depression, local, skilled labour was available. Using stone from the nearby Gow limestone quarry, they gave Templin Gardens the distinctive mark of Scottish stonemasons from a bygone era.
Templin Gardens grew in size and stature from its humble beginnings. The entrance was directly from St Andrew St through an elaborate wrought gate. There were green lawns, benches, meandering flagstone walkways, birdhouses, birdbaths, a sundial, arbours, and a wide assortment of flowers and trees. A feature of the gardens was a fishpond featuring a statue of Pan with water falling over a waterfall and into the gorge. The stone stairway to the river’s edge afforded a breathtaking view of the rapids and gorge.
Sadly, over time the garden fell into disrepair and a portion of the property was sold. Thankfully, a restoration project initiated by the Fergus Chamber of Commerce took place in the 1970s and the lower level of the original garden was restored. What remains today gives us a glimpse of its original size and grandeur, but it’s beauty and charm remain.
The Fergus Horticultural Society volunteers maintain and care for Templin Gardens.
Created: June 2015. Source: Wellington County Museum and Archives. www.wellington.ca/museum