The Thornhill Village branch of Markham Public Library is located in a historic house that was first built in 1851. Since 1851, the building has acted as a stable, a grocery store, and a veterinary office before becoming the home of the library in the 1960s.
While the Thornhill Village branch is home to many unique features, one of the most beautiful areas of the library is located outside of the library. Started in 1998, the Richard A. Jarrell Memorial Garden is a heritage garden that has grown to become one of Thornhill Village's most popular attractions. To learn more about the garden, we spoke with Martha Jarrell, whose leadership and management has helped to carry on the original vision for the Thornhill Garden.
1) Can you tell us a bit about the history of the Richard A. Jarrell Memorial Garden?
Richard Jarrell was a full professor in York University’s Faculty of Science when he enrolled part time in the Ontario Diploma in Horticulture at Guelph University. It offered a new focus for his passion for design in general. A requirement was to volunteer in four Markham sites, one of which was the Thornhill Village Library.
The site consisted of trees, turf, some beds of annuals and four pots. It was 1996, and Markham had recently won the Communities in Bloom national competition for municipalities its size. Contemplating the required major project, Richard, the historian, envisioned a Victorian cottage garden to mirror the 1851 worker’s cottage housing the Library. Discussing the idea with his Horticulture supervisor, he said it would be a “must” for the judges of the upcoming Communities in Bloom international competition in 1998. Approval was given, and Richard began researching cottage gardens and what plants would have been available in mid-late 19th Century Thornhill. Garden design followed, with Richard taking into account the grounds, sun/shade and soil. He and our two sons began digging in 1998, and The Thornhill Heritage Garden was born. Copies of his project, The Thornhill Heritage Garden, are in circulation at the Thornhill Village and Thornhill Community Centre libraries.
Image: The garden area before the Richard A. Jarrell Memorial Garden was created
2) What does it mean for a garden to be a heritage garden? Why is it so important for the Thornhill Village library to be a heritage garden?
A “heritage garden” is one that is aimed at preserving the historical and cultural importance of a particular time and place. Richard’s aim was to use plants grown in mid-19th Century Thornhill to preserve a cottage garden style that workers’ cottages at that time in England may have had. It is of historical importance that the grounds of the Library, being located on one of Markham’s heritage streets, reflect this. Markham’s Heritage Committee acknowledged the relevance of heritage landscaping in 2017 when it presented me with the Heritage Markham 2017 Award of Excellence for my maintenance of this garden.
3) What does your work in the garden look like throughout the year?
Richard’s vision, research, design and labour created the garden. I assisted in the early years but, because of his profession’s demands, soon took over most of its care. With his passing in 2013, I was then in the driver’s seat. My instinct was, first, to curate the garden in keeping with his design and wishes for an Oasis steps away from nearby busy Yonge Street and, second, to learn as I went. My work involved problem solving; meeting the challenge of global warming’s effects on plants; working with volunteers; seeking help from Horticulture staff; being aware at all times that the garden is a public place; and rolling up my sleeves! Hands-on work in the garden over these 26 years has involved planting, moving and replacing plants and watering at that time; deadheading and pruning; and digging out invasive or dead plants.
4) What are some of the different types of plants in the Thornhill Village garden?
Of the 160-some different varieties here, all are perennial (except for the front-door pots supplied by Markham Horticulture): vines of morning glory and hardy sweet pea; ground covers of seedum and lamium; Dogwood and Viburnum shrubs; Goatsbeard, Mallow, and Culver’s Root plants; deciduous trees (Chanticleer Pear and Redbud); and coniferous trees (Norway Spruce)... to name only a handful.
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Image: The Richard A. Jarrell Memorial Garden in 2024
5) How did you first develop an interest in gardening?
I think my interest in gardening began, as a seed, by watching my Mother and Grandmother in their vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. One of my “jobs” was to pick the red and black raspberries for freezing and, when in season, violets for the dinner table. I believe an aesthetic sense for the good taste of veggies and fruit (organic then) and beauty of flowers grew.
After moving into our house, Richard discovered his design penchant in creating home gardens which I maintained. When York Region farms began disappearing, I soothed myself by extending endless ivy cuttings indoors until the drain on my time and water made me stop! Caring for the Heritage Garden, my labour of love, has greatly expanded my appreciation of how gardens help heal the planet by plants absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen and heal humans through the plants' beauty.
6) Do you have any tips for Markham gardeners?
Gardening practices which I’ve maintained from Richard’s vision include adding pollinator-friendly plants; thinking of plant leaf textures as part of the garden’s allure; using trellises and arbours to carry vines; sharing knowledge with fellow gardeners; watering sparsely to save the water table; and using no fertilizers and pesticides.
Practices which I’ve instituted include pairing plants for colour enhancement and support, building a brush pile as a structure for animal safety, and preparing the garden for Winter’s harshness. Looking forward, I wish to explore re-instituting toads, and find additional ways to protect bees’ nests and provide for their overwintering.
In closing, maintaining and developing this Garden wouldn’t be possible without the help of my three loyal, experienced volunteers and Markham Horticulture staff. The Library entrance tree and an annual grant provided by the Thornhill Garden and Horticultural Society are much-appreciated gestures.
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