By Tim Chapman
There is something magical about the holiday season and plants! They are made for each other and I'm not just thinking about poinsettias and mistletoe.
In warmer climes, folks grow up and live their entire lives with a different image of Christmas despite the overwhelming pop culture imagery of snow-capped pine trees and berry-adorned wreaths. Not that there is anything wrong with that! People as far south as snow falls wish for a snowy Christmas morning and all of twinkling wonderment it brings to our eyes.
Fortunately, we can give you a taste of the north and the south this year! The International Peace Garden, home to one of the world's most diverse collections of cacti and succulents, is hosting our Grand Opening of the newly expanded Conservatory on Dec. 9.
Inspired by the ever-growing and Canadian-led winter cities movement and regular visits to some of the top botanical gardens throughout North America, IPG is excited to debut Santa and holiday cheer among our year-round prickly partners. Whether you celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace or take part in other religious or secular traditions, a stop at the Canadian-U.S. border is a must this year!
I was personally inspired in recent years by seeing the holiday displays and decor at world-class gardens like Longwood in Pennsylvania, Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, Como Park and Zoo Conservatory in Chicago and smaller regional attractions in my home area of Washington D.C., where we join our families for the holidays each year.
These urban-based institutions take holiday decor to eye-popping levels. But everywhere we go to take in plants and lights have included a few key elements – model trains and villages, poinsettias, Christmas cacti, orchids and trees!
The International Peace Garden is excited to touch on these themes and start and grow a new border tradition for Manitobans and all Canadians and Americans intrigued by the indoor and outdoor beauty we provide. Outdoors in the park itself, there is a great chance in December for visitors to be awed by the hoarfrost adorning our massive stands of spruce and pines that line the last miles of highway that approach the border on both sides.
If a steady snowpack has already blanketed our grounds, skiers and snowshoers will gleefully zip through the trails knowing a warm spectacle awaits. About 5,000 unique species and cultivars of cacti and succulents from around the world will provide plenty of holiday green and the array of colours that succulents boast.
The new Conservatory's opening truly feels like Christmas to me. After pandemic-plagued years of stop-and-go construction, our team is hard at work placing our biggest cacti in a specialized soil that will allow them to thrive for decades to come. More space for the plants and more space for people to sit and gather with a warm drink will get your holidays off to a cozy start. Well, don't get too cozy with the plants. They are quite sharp!
The International Peace Garden continues to embrace our unique location and the challenges of winter. We hear from countless visitors how important plants are to their daily lives. That importance doesn't end because it's cold and snowy. Promoting peace through the beauty of plants is what we do year-round, and we are excited to begin welcoming visitors to a wonderland that can be enjoyed outdoors and indoors despite the frigid temperatures that define our long, grey winter.
So, mark the date! Dec. 9 will be a joyful celebration of our plants and holiday cheer with food, drink, and activities for kids and adults alike!
For more information, please visit our website peacegarden.com as details and weather conditions enhance the day's offerings!
In Peace, Tim.
Tim Chapman is the CEO at the International Peace Garden on the border of Manitoba and North Dakota. The Garden is open year-round and grooming ski trails for the first time this winter. Rent one of our cabins and enjoy a winter weekend that only the forest of the Turtle Mountains can provide.
