On Thursday, we backtracked and visited the Reford Gardens at Métis. The Refords were Robert and Elsie (née Elsie Stephen Meighan). He was a president (or important manager) in the Cunard shipping company (think QE cruiseship), she was a socialite from Perth, Ontario. They travelled a lot and brought back seeds from other parts of the world that she planted in her beloved garden. The setting is the Villa Estevan, named for a contraction of her names (Elsie and Stephen), it had been the fishing camp of her uncle Sir George Stephen. Elsie had a beautiful home built in this place and her gardens became her legacy. It is amazing to note that she only started converting the old fishing camp into this lovely estate at the age of 54. You can read all about the gardens here. In the meantime, enjoy a few photos we took.
Turning my world upside down! 