THE ALCOVE GARDEN

630 Island Park Drive - South side of Kitchissippi United Church, Ottawa, Ontario

Welcome to The Alcove Garden. Long ago, before Canada’s early colonists arrived, The Alcove Garden was a wild space, full of native plants, birds, insects and other wildlife. Algonquin people called it their home. These days, the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton are working to rehabilitate and restore this garden. Our goal is to create a wildlife garden full of native plant species to benefit biodiversity. Native plants co-evolved with beneficial pollinators that support wildlife and people in the region. You will likely see these insects when you visit, but there is no need to be afraid. These pollinators are busy working, buzzing about the flowers collecting pollen and nectar. Without them, we wouldn’t enjoy many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat every day.
While you’re visiting the garden, take a look at the signage mounted on the brick wall at the east end of the garden explaining its history. It is translated into three languages: English, French and Algonquin.
Volunteers from Kitchissippi United Church and Ecology Ottawa, a local environmental group, removed the original asphalt from the site a few years ago. After de-paving, they added soil and plants. More recently, Master Gardeners have created a new garden design and site plan, amended the soil, removed plants and added more native plants. It was officially opened in September 2021. Master Gardeners continue to maintain The Alcove Garden, learn from it and share knowledge with anyone interested in native plants.

FIND PLANTS BY LOCATION

Scientific nameCommon namesFamily
Allium schoenoprasumChivesAmaryllidaceae (Amaryllis)
Asclepias incarnataSwamp milkweedApocynaceae (Dogbanes)
Asclepias tuberosaButterfly weedApocynaceae (Dogbanes)
Achillea millefoliumCommon yarrowAsteraceae (Daisies)
Coreopsis lanceolataLance-leaved coreopsisAsteraceae (Daisies)
Coreopsis verticillataThreadleaf coreopsis, Whorled tickseedAsteraceae (Daisies)
Echinacea purpureaPurple coneflowerAsteraceae (Daisies)
Eutrochium maculatumSpotted joe-pye weedAsteraceae (Daisies)
Heliopsis helianthoidesFalse sunflower, Rough oxeye, Smooth oxeyeAsteraceae (Daisies)
Liatris spicataDense blazing starAsteraceae (Daisies)
Rudbeckia fulgidaOrange coneflower, Black-eyed susanAsteraceae (Daisies)
Solidago canadensisCanada goldenrodAsteraceae (Daisies)
Solidago flexicaulisBroadleaved goldenrod, Zigzag goldenrodAsteraceae (Daisies)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliaeNew England asterAsteraceae (Daisies)
Symphyotrichum oolentangienseSkyblue aster, Azure asterAsteraceae (Daisies)
Lobelia siphiliticaBlue cardinal flower, Great blue lobeliaCampanulaceae (Bellflowers)
Hylotelephium spectabileShowy stonecrop, Iceplant, Butterfly stonecropCrassulaceae (Stonecrops)
Geranium cinereumAshy cranesbillGeraniaceae (Geraniums)
Agastache foeniculumAnise hyssopLamiaceae (Mint)
Monarda didymaRed bergamot, beebalmLamiaceae (Mint)
Monarda didymadwarf beebalmLamiaceae (Mint)
Nepeta x faasseniiCatmint, Faassen's catmintLamiaceae (Mint)
Physostegia virginianaObedient plantLamiaceae (Mint)
ScutellariaSkullcapLamiaceae (Mint)
Thymus vulgarisGarden thymeLamiaceae (Mint)
Oenothera fruticosaSundropsOnagraceae (Willowherbs)
Paeonia lactifloraChinese peonyPaeoniaceae (Peonies)
Panicum virgatumSwitchgrass, Panic grasses, Thatchgrass, Wild RedtopPoaceae (Grasses)
Schizachyrium scopariumLittle bluestem, Beard grassPoaceae (Grasses)
Phlox paniculataGarden phloxPolemoniaceae (Phox)
Actaea racemosaBlack cohosh, bugbaneRanunculaceae (Buttercups)
Clematis virginianaWild clematis, Devil's darning needlesRanunculaceae (Buttercups)
Thalictrum dasycarpumMeadow rueRanunculaceae (Buttercups)
Dasiphora fruticosaPotentilla, shrubby cinquefoilRosaceae (Roses)
Fragaria virginianaWild strawberryRosaceae (Roses)
Geum triflorumPrairie smokeRosaceae (Roses)
Rosa blandaSmooth roseRosaceae (Roses)
Waldsteinia fragaroidesBarren strawberryRosaceae (Roses)
Scientific nameCommon namesFamily
Allium cernuumNodding onionAmaryllidaceae (Amaryllis)
Asclepias syriacaCommon milkweedApocynaceae (Dogbanes)
Maianthemum racemosumFalse solomon's sealAsparagaceae (Asparagus)
Polygonatum biflorumSolomon's sealAsparagaceae (Asparagus)
Achillea millefoliumCommon yarrowAsteraceae (Daisies)
Eutrochium maculatumSpotted joe-pye weedAsteraceae (Daisies)
Helenium autumnaleCommon sneezeweedAsteraceae (Daisies)
Heliopsis helianthoidesFalse sunflower, Rough oxeye, Smooth oxeyeAsteraceae (Daisies)
Rudbeckia fulgidaOrange coneflower, Black-eyed susanAsteraceae (Daisies)
Rudbeckia hirtaBlack-eyed susanAsteraceae (Daisies)
Solidago canadensisCanada goldenrodAsteraceae (Daisies)
Solidago rigidaStiff goldenrodAsteraceae (Daisies)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliaeNew England asterAsteraceae (Daisies)
Mertensia virginicaVirginia bluebellsBoraginaceae (Borages)
Campanula rotundifoliaHarebell, BluebellCampanulaceae (Bellflowers)
Symphoricarpos albusCommon snowberryCaprifoliaceae (Honeysuckles)
Tradescantia virginianaVirginia spiderwortCommelinaceae (Spiderworts)
Juniperus horizontalisCreeping juniperCupressaceae (Cypress)
Arctostaphlos uva-ursiMassachusetts bearberryEricaceae (Heaths)
Baptisia australisBlue false indigo, Blue wild indigoFabaceae (Legume)
Lupinus perennis Sundial lupine, wild lupineFabaceae (Legume)
Geranium cinereumAshy cranesbillGeraniaceae (Geraniums)
Geranium maculatumWild cranesbillGeraniaceae (Geraniums)
Hypericum kalmianumKalm’s St. Johns wortHypericaceae (St. John's Wort)
Agastache foeniculumAnise hyssopLamiaceae (Mint)
Monarda fistulosaWild bergamotLamiaceae (Mint)
Pycnanthemum incanumHoary mountain mintLamiaceae (Mint)
Thymus serpyllumCreeping thyme, Breckland thyme, Wild thymeLamiaceae (Mint)
Oenothera biennisCommon evening-primroseOnagraceae (Willowherbs)
Anemone canadensisCanada anemoneRanunculaceae (Buttercups)
Clematis 'Jackmanii'Late large-flowered clematisRanunculaceae (Buttercups)
Amelanchier canadensisServiceberryRosaceae (Roses)
Potentilla argutaTall cinquefoilRosaceae (Roses)
Heuchera villosaHairy alumrootSaxifragaceae (Saxifrages)
Chelone glabraWhite turtleheadScrophulariaceae (Figworts)
Chelone obliquaPink turtlehead, Red turtleheadScrophulariaceae (Figworts)
Penstemon hirsutusHairy beardtongueScrophulariaceae (Figworts)
Scrophularia sp.FigwortScrophulariaceae (Figworts)
Scientific nameCommon namesFamily
Asarum canadenseCanada wild ginger, Canadian snakeroot, Broad-leaved asarabaccaAristolochiaceae (Birthworts)
Polygonatum biflorumSolomon's sealAsparagaceae (Asparagus)
Echinacea purpureaPurple coneflowerAsteraceae (Daisies)
Eurybia divaricataWhite wood asterAsteraceae (Daisies)
Solidago flexicaulisBroadleaved goldenrod, Zigzag goldenrodAsteraceae (Daisies)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliaeNew England asterAsteraceae (Daisies)
Epimedium x rubrumRed barrenwortBerberidaceae (Barberry)
Lobelia siphiliticaBlue cardinal flower, Great blue lobeliaCampanulaceae (Bellflowers)
Diervilla loniceraNorthern bush honeysuckleCaprifoliaceae (Honeysuckles)
Symphoricarpos albusCommon snowberryCaprifoliaceae (Honeysuckles)
Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'Elegantissima DogwoodCornaceae (Dogwoods)
Matteuccia struthiopterisOstrich fernOnocleaceae (Terrestrial Ferns)
Paeonia lactifloraChinese peonyPaeoniaceae (Peonies)
Sanguinaria canadensisBloodrootPapaveraceae (Poppies)
Phlox stoloniferaCreeping phloxPolemoniaceae (Phox)
Aquilegia canadensisCanada columbine, Eastern red columbine, Wild columbineRanunculaceae (Buttercups)
Rubus odoratusFlowering raspberry, Purple-flowered raspberry, Virginia raspberryRosaceae (Roses)
Tiarella cordifoliaHeartleaf foamflower, False miterwortSaxifragaceae (Saxifrage)
Penstemon hirsutusHairy beardtongueScrophulariaceae (Figworts)
Viola labradoricaAmerican dog violet, Labrador violetViolaceae (Violets)

WHAT'S ON IN THE GARDEN

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Please direct your donation to GROUP OTTAWA-CARLETON when selecting the fund. A tax receipt will be generated immediately.