Get a dose of nature at Norfolk botanical garden

Hamilton Spectator

20-05-2025

Health-care workers can now prescribe their stressed-out patients a visit to a Norfolk County
botanical garden
famous for its
peony collection
and musical fountain.
Whistling Gardens
in Wilsonville was recently added to the Park Prescriptions (PaRx) program, which offers free or
discounted admission
for people whose health-care providers prescribe time in nature to reduce stress, improve mental well-being and boost cardiovascular health.
Patients with a 'nature prescription' can get 25 per cent off the price of admission to Whistling Gardens, which boasts North America's largest publicly accessible peony collection, with more than 1,300 varieties.
In a press release, co-owner Wanda Heimbecker said she and her husband, Darren, are 'honoured to support community wellness' by offering a discount through the PaRx program.
'Time and again, we witness visitors slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect — with themselves, with one another, and with nature,' Heimbecker said.
Visitors to Whistling Gardens with a nature prescription can get a discount on admission to see the botanical garden's renowned peony collection.
'It's a joy and privilege to provide a safe, welcoming space for rest and renewal. This partnership with PaRx deeply reflects our values and the spirit of the garden.'
The PaRx program is run by the BC Parks Foundation, with sites across the county and more than 17,000 health-care providers having bought into the evidence-backed health benefits of being in nature.
Residents with proof of a PaRx prescription can also get a coupon for 10 free visits to the Halton Region Conservation Authority and half-price admission to the Toronto Zoo.
Tillsonburg-based nurse therapist Carey Ferris is a regular visitor to Whistling Gardens and said she is excited to be able to send her patients there.
'It's the perfect setting for mindfulness and healing. The peace of it settles your nervous system,' Ferris said in the media release.
'Health isn't just physical — it's mental, emotional, and spiritual, too. Whistling Gardens touches all those aspects. It's a place of beauty and a place that heals.'
Many varieties of flowers are currently in bloom at Whistling Gardens, but the highlight of the season is still ahead, with peonies emerging in late May and peaking in June. Visit
whistlinggardens.ca
for all the details, and learn more about the PaRx program at
parkprescriptions.ca.