The colours, shapes and textures present in the landscaping at Saint Joseph’s Oratory are, without a doubt, its summer signature. Visitors always enjoy the beautiful flowers, trees and shrubs. From the early blossoms in the Spring to the coloured leaves of Autumn, the Oratory is always “in bloom”.
The formal French-inspired flowerbeds located at the entrance and on the wide pedestrian promenade were designed in 1923, when the monument to Saint Joseph by sculptor Alfred Laliberté was installed. The main features are four long beds made up of different varieties of flowers, meticulously planted in repeated patterns. Planting begins in the middle of May and is finished by the end of June.
As the site’s landscaping progressed, informal English-style flowerbeds with perennial and annual flowers were added to the front plaza and the Garden of the Way of the Cross. The Oratory’s horticulturists and gardeners refresh and tend to the landscaping each year.
Did you know that…
- On the site of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal there are over 900 trees, of 20 different species and 26 varieties, along with 30 different species of shrubs.
- The Garden of the Way of the Cross boasts 380 trees and more than 20 different species of shrubs.
- The site is hemmed in by four natural wooded areas.
- The flowerbeds feature more than 60 varieties of perennials.
- Each year, the Oratory’s horticultural team plants 20,000 annuals of over 85 varieties.
