The Platinum Garden
at Annandale Lighthouse
PLEASE NOTE: Public access days to the lighthouse and garden will be advertised and made available each year. Unless otherwise posted, please refrain from approaching the lighthouse without permission as it is surrounded by private property, and often occupied by guests. Though access is limited, this also makes the lighthouse and garden special to visit; more effectively bringing together our community on designated days.
Join us Thursday, 8 August 2024 for
the 3rd annual Annandale Picnic Day
More details coming soon.
Unveiling the Platinum Garden
A regal day
Officially unveiled on Thursday, 11 August 2022, by Her Honour Antoinette Perry, the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, the Platinum Garden commemorates Queen Elizabeth II’s historic 70-year reign as Queen of Canada.
As part of Annandale Picnic Day, the afternoon included an onsite food vendor, The Pizza Box, a rock painting station and an opportunity for the local community to gather and socialize after two difficult years of pandemic-living.
Her Honour, Antoinette Perry, the Queen’s vice-regal representative to the Island, delivered the keynote speech. She spoke about her constitutional duties as the Island’s de facto head of state, her experience meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and the importance of community engagement.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and local MLA for District One, Souris-Elmira, Colin Lavie, spoke about his love for lighthouses and gardens - recalling his time as a young fisher, yearning to see the Souris Lighthouse after a rough day on the water. Then Christian Norton, a University of Oxford plant scientist and garden designer, gave details about the hardy roses planted around the structure.
A flourishing legacy
The Platinum Garden was planted in June 2022. While those roses were sourced from Atlantic Canada, Christian is also collecting shoots from notable English (UK) gardens which, when big enough (and granted they make it across the Atlantic in one piece) will also be installed under the lighthouse.
The garden also Incorporates a red oak, PEI’s provincial tree, and will be carpeted with wildflowers, including poppies; helping bees and the local ecosystem to thrive. Wildflowers and the English rose shoots will be planted in the spring of 2023.
We hope the Platinum Garden will flourish and, like Annandale Lighthouse and Queen Elizabeth II, will pay respect to our heritage for generations to come. The Platinum Garden is made possible thanks to funds from Canadian Heritage, and in particular the Celebration and Commemoration Program, marking the 2022 Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Platinum Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in the history of Canada, the United Kingdom, and all other Commonwealth realms. Beginning in 1952, at the death of her father, the Queen has reigned over one of the most socially progressive eras in human history.
Please visit the button below to learn more about the Canadian Crown, Her Majesty and Her Platinum Jubilee.
“So much has changed over these 70 years and, through it all, she has inspired us by her devotion and loyalty to incomparable service, joyfully carried out with dignity, grace and steadfast commitment.”