Heather Wright/The Independent

Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Al Broad is getting complaints about the state of Greenhill Gardens. 

The six-acre garden in Wilkesport was the pride of the Robson family, who started growing the oasis in 2008. 

The family opened the gardens to the public and it was a popular place for wedding and family photos.

Last year, the family turned the gardens a 19-acre woodlot and 74 acres of agricultural land over to the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority Foundation. They wanted it to continue to be used by the public.

The foundation set up an online booking system which allowed photographers to reserve the site, for a fee of $250. That angered a lot of residents.

Now, Broad says, he’s heard from people who paid the fee and were disappointed to find the gardens are not being kept up by the foundation as it was when the Robsons cared for the property.

Ken Phillips, general manager of the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority. The authority manages the land for the foundation. 

Phillips estimates the family spent as much as $75,000 a year maintaining the property; the foundation provides a $25,000 grant for the same work.

Phillips has heard and seen the complaints but says more cash is needed for upkeep. 

“People do not want pay. People do not want to raise money for it,” says Phillips noting the signage at the site now has a QR code which allows people to get more information about the foundation and how to donate for the upkeep of the gardens.

“We are now trying to get a volunteer group together to help with maintenance. The staffers that we had there did the best of their abilities,” he said. 

A university student worked full time to maintain the gardens this summer.

Phillips says staff is going to work on a strategy to improve maintainence for next year but is discouraged by all the negative comments adding people don’t understand the cost of operating Greenhill Gardens.

Broad worries finding donors and gardeners might be difficult.

“It’s pretty hard for them to get enthusiastic, because it’s overgrown now, and it’s going to take a lot of work from somebody to get it remotely close to where it was in the previous times.”