Deep in Lanark County, in the township of Dalhousie, Pollock and Dora McDougall’s rose garden was the talk of the area. Located a hop, skip , and a jump near Watson’s Corners 100’s of tourists used to visit this rose garden each year. In 1973 there were 415 rose bushes and McDougall decided to specialize in Peace Roses and all were said to be of exhibition quality.––Paradise in Hopetown
In the end I never found Wilson’s Corners where the McDougall House was –Posted on October 23, 2017
Until today June 7th, 2020– a few years later-– Today, Jennifer Ferris drove me to see the former McDougall property. There was nary a rose bush 47 years later–instead it was overgrown, but they did have a lovely garden and they were growing hops.
Dozens of farmers in the Canadian province of Ontario dove into growing hops in recent years, encouraged by an explosion of local craft breweries. Hops are an incredibly difficult crop to grow. To do it very well, you really need to babysit it as it’s a very assertive plant. I wonder what this place will look like in another 47 years.
TWO YEARS LATER
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