by Eva Kurilova
Canada may spend a good portion of the year buried under snow, but it certainly isn’t lacking in beautiful public gardens that you can enjoy during the warmer months. From east to west, here’s a selection of some of the best public gardens in Canada. [Image credit: iStock.com/bernson74]
Not only one of Canada’s top public gardens but easily one of the best botanical gardens in all of the world, the Montréal Botanical Garden consists of over 10 greenhouses and 30 themed gardens. You’ll find over 22,000 different species of plant life, including cherry blossoms, irises, peonies, tulips, hyacinths and many, many more. You don’t have be intimidated by this garden’s size just because you’ve got little ones in tow, as you can rent a stroller and take breaks in a variety of picnic areas.
Once you’ve finished with your obligatory stop at the majestic Niagara Falls, there’s no better place to visit next than the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens. Located on 99 acres of land near the Niagara River, Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens is highly accessible for the whole family with a system of paved pathways and the option for a horse-drawn carriage ride. Over 30,000 daffodils bloom here every year, earning the region the title of ‘Daffodil Capital of North America’.
You don’t have to wait until the warmer seasons to enjoy flowering blooms in Winnipeg. Perfect weather is maintained year-round inside the Assiniboine Park Conservatory’s climate-controlled indoor spaces, allowing a wide range of tropical plants to flourish. Of course, there’s even more to see when the beautiful outdoor flowering gardens begin to bloom. To top it all off, the large park even contains an entire zoo, as well as three restaurants so you can stop for a bite to eat over the course of your activity-filled day.
Located just outside of Edmonton and near the town of Devon, Alberta, the northerly Devonian Botanic Garden contains plant species from around the world. Use the walking trails or take a tram to explore the Kurimoto Japanese Garden, the Native Peoples Garden and the Herb and Sensory Garden, and make sure you visit the indoor showhouses as well. Situated so close to Edmonton and easily one of Canada’s best public gardens, Devonian Botanic Garden is very much worth including in your itinerary.
Though there’s so much to do and see in the Vancouver area, the VanDusen Botanical Garden ranks very high on the list attractions that you just can’t miss. The focus here is certainly on the flowers, and in the spring the garden blooms with camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons. You’ll also get the chance to see a variety of plants from faraway ecosystems around the Mediterranean and the Himalayas. Make sure you stop by the carbon-neutral VanDusen Botanical Garden visitor centre as well. A model of sustainability, the visitor centre is powered entirely by renewable energy.
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Our final entry into the list of best public gardens in Canada is just a ferry ride away, located on Vancouver Island near Victoria. Once the site of a limestone quarry, Butchart Gardens is today a popular destination among locals and tourists for the spectacular flowers and flowering trees which bloom there every spring. Butchart Gardens was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004, and continues to enjoy around a million visitors every year.
Canada has no shortage of excllent public gardens. Take the time to stroll through these attractive spaces and discover a world of beautiful blooms and botanical marvels.
