Gardens in Vancouver
Flowers and trees thrive in Vancouver’s perfect climate, and it’s a good thing they do because Vancouverites are fanatical gardeners. In the spring, the city is ablaze with thousands of pink and white cherry trees, plum, Magnolias, tulip trees, Quince, Forsythia, Salmon Berries and Flowering Current. Tulips, hyacinths and daffodils are everywhere.
In summer, thousands of gardens bloom with rhododendrons, azaleas, hundreds of varieties of summer flowers and flowering trees.
In the fall, chrysanthemums bloom and trees turn fiery shades of orange, red and yellow in contrast to the city’s forest of evergreens. In winter, trees strip to branches and trunks to display their symmetry and color.
Here’s a list of the most famous Vancouver Gardens; however, you can also experience great gardens all over the city in neighborhoods, parks and adorning public buildings. There are, for example, more than 130,000 street trees in Vancouver, many of which have blossoms in Spring and bright leaves in Fall.
The University of British Columbia Botanical Garden has more than 10,000 different trees, shrubs and flowers on over 70 acres. It includes a winter garden, Alpine garden, Native Garden and Asian Garden among others.
It’s open from 10-6 daily except in winter when it closes earlier.
VanDusen Botanical Gardens has more than 7,500 different kinds of plants on 55 perfectly maintained acres. From 1911 to 1960, this land was the site of Shaughnessy Golf Club. However, the golf club moved in 1960 because the land’s owner, Canadian Pacific Railway, wanted to build a subdivision on the land.
However, there was enough opposition to the plan that the VanDusen Botanical Association was formed to work with the city to save the site. The alliance was successful ultimately in purchasing the land and transforming it into a botanical garden in 1975.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is open from 10-4:30 daily. This full-sized classical garden is the only one of its kind outside China. Though the garden is small compared to others listed here, it balances and complements both natural and emotional elements.
To get the most from this garden, take one of the excellent guided tours. If you can, visit in the rain when water rolls off the roof in thousands of miniature waterfalls. You can even host your next event in a calming environment.
Just next door to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park. If you are on a tight budget, this free park will give you the same sense of tranquility found in the garden.
Located within the 130 acre Queen Elizabeth Park, the Bloedel Floral Conservatory is a tropical paradise any time of the year. It boasts exotic trees and plants, and more than 100 free-flying birds. Just outside the plant conservatory is one of Vancouver’s most spectacular views of the city and the North Shore mountains.
Stanley Park is a 1000-acre Vancouver masterwork. Along with its magnificent trees, it also has a rose garden, a rhododendron garden and hundreds of thousands of flowers year round. Along with its gardens, you’ll find a lake, a lagoon, a bay, an inlet, miles of trails, a pitch and putt golf course, miniature railroad, aquarium, tennis courts, a cricket pitch and thousands of quiet, grassy places for picnics or contemplation.
And if you love gardens, a visit to Vancouver is not complete without a trip by float plane or ferry to Vancouver Island, home of the world famous Butchart Gardens.
Give us a call at 604-990-9299 or 800-913-9207 if you’d like us to organize a garden tour of Vancouver or of Victoria.