Blooming riches are hiding from coast to coast. Gardens are blooming and waiting for you everywhere in Canada, from the capital to the eastern and western coasts. Here are my top recommendations for the best botanical gardens in Canada, listed from west to east.
Butchart Gardens Victoria: One Of The Best Gardens In Canada
Imagine an abandoned quarry with a gaping hole that reveals layers of rock and nooks that would be the ideal setting for an amazing garden. Butchart Gardens had an unusual industrial origin and is now a National Historic Site of Canada.
When Jennie Butchart first saw the limestone quarry on her land in the early 1900s, she saw a chance. Robert Pim Butchart, her husband, was a producer of cement.
In 1904, he constructed a cement plant at Tod Inlet to the north of Victoria. He began mining the stone that helped supply Portland cement from Victoria to San Francisco in California. It was pure ingenuity on Jennie’s part to turn the pit into gardens.
Jennie, ever the businesswoman, gave the order to dump wagon loads of topsoil in the quarry, and soon the now-famous Sunken Garden began drawing tourists. The growth of Butchart Gardens from 1906 to 1929 was phenomenal: Japanese, Italian, and Rose gardens established themselves and thrived.
By the 1920s, more than 50,000 people had visited the imaginative exhibits she designed. Not exactly by herself, Jennie had built one of the most well-known, adored gardens in Canada, if not all of British Columbia.
The family enjoys theater, music, and special events like the ever-popular fireworks evenings, in addition to appreciating flowers. A seasonal treat is the Christmas show at Butchart Gardens, where dazzling lights adorn the winter gardens.
It’s, without a doubt, one of the nicest gardens in Canada.
Tofino Botanical Gardens
One of the must-visit gardens in Canada is Tofino Botanical Gardens. A wonderful blend of indigenous and introduced species can be found in Tofino’s Botanical Gardens. A 12-acre (5-hectare) coastal, temperate rainforest awaits, picturesquely sprinkled with intriguing eco-designed structures.
From the visitor center, boardwalks and stone pathways lead to the duck pond, herb gardens, and kitchen gardens. Take in the aromas of lavender and mint while seeing Jan Janzen’s wooden pavilion next to the pond. The artist-builder employed no pegs, screws, or nails. Therefore, the construction is remarkable in and of itself.
Explore the trees after that to find “pocket gardens”. In addition to plants native to Chile and Japan and other temperate rainforest regions of the world in Tofino Botanical Gardens. These installations include artwork made to withstand climate change.
Bring binoculars to look for birds and other animals in the two bird blinds that overlook the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area from the shore.
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Muttart Conservatory Edmonton
Imagine coming across four enormous glass pyramids rising from the banks of the North Saskatchewan River in the middle of winter with snow crunching underfoot or in the sweltering heat of July.
One of the best all-season Canadian gardens to see is Muttart Conservatory. Regardless of the weather, Muttart Conservatory’s buildings depict several biomes that are home to an incredible variety of plant species from all over the world.
Brilliant tropical flowers and plants thrive in the lush, humid climate of the Tropical Pyramid. With its occasionally bleak-appearing but beautifully sculpted cacti and succulents that can survive on less than 25cm of rainfall annually, the Arid Pyramid contrasts that environment.
The Temperate Pyramid at Muttart Conservatory provides a look into Edmonton’s type of environment, where the four seasons of growth may be seen. These plants experience hibernation in the winter through growth, flowering, and “die-back” in the autumn with proper temperature and humidity regulation.
The Feature Pyramid at Muttart Conservatory also flourishes with significant occasions. For instance, in 2017, the exhibit will be on display from July 1 through September 17. It will include a floral Canadian Flag, specimens of native Canadian plants, and much more. It would be simple to design a vacation throughout Canada with a garden theme while including many other non-gardening activities.
Montreal Botanical Gardens: The Most Famous Garden In Canada You Cannot Miss!
The world-famous Botanical Gardens of Montreal are a component of the city’s Espace pour la vie center. It also houses the Biodome, Insectarium, and other attractions. The First Nations Gardens are a must-see because they contain both cultivated and fragile native species from the woodlands, including wild ginger and revered Eastern White Cedar trees.
First Nations people domesticated the Three Sisters, or beans, squash, and maize (corn), making them staple foods in their diets.
Don’t overlook the Nordic Zone either, which replicates the northern taiga (black spruce woodland). In these exposed granitic rock locations, flora clings to life in cracks and crevices on the meager soils.
An interpretation pavilion displays contemporary First Nations culture in addition to traditional plant applications, such as the making of birchbark canoes and the use of medicinal herbs. What better location to visit during the 150th-anniversary festivities than this Native American garden, where we remember how the First People used and respected the soil.
Tulip Garden in Ottawa
Each spring, visitors to the nation’s capital may witness the great connection between Canada and the Netherlands through an abundance of vibrant perennials. Since the inaugural Canadian Tulip Festival took place in 1953, these cheerful tulips have transformed Canada’s capital into a vibrant flower display.
Young Dutch Royal Juliana and her two princess daughters boarded a ship headed for Halifax during World War II and traveled to Ottawa. At the Ottawa Civic Hospital, she subsequently gave birth to Princess Margriet Francisca. Princess Margriet is the only princess to have ever been born in North America, thanks to the federal government’s symbolic transformation of the hospital room into Dutch soil.
In addition, Canada’s contribution to the freedom of the Netherlands strongly touched the Dutch, which is why they left behind so many priceless tulips.
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Kingsbrae Garden
More than 50,000 perennial plants cover more than 10 hectares (27 acres) of grounds at Kingsbrae Gardens. Kingsbrae Garden also features intriguing outdoor sculptural works. Kingsbrae Garden is a true family favorite on the list. The goats, alpacas, peacocks, and bunnies that live here are popular with children.
The cedar tree maze is a favorite among tourists. Since the Greek traveler and author Herodotus explored an Egyptian labyrinth in the fifth century BC, mazes have existed. Since then, gardeners all around the world have developed these “walking puzzles” with hedges planted along routes that can either bring a visitor out or deeper into the maze. Nowadays, a lot of labyrinths are created as mindfulness meditations, which gives them a new level of interpretation and significance. So, don’t miss Kingsbrae Garden if you visit New Brunswick!
Niagara Falls Gardens
My parents, especially my mother, enjoyed spending afternoons inside a sweltering glass greenhouse close to the world-famous Niagara Falls. The old property is a genuine treasure and adds a pleasant touch to the waning winter days.
The gardeners hand-pollinate these seeds, which are not commercially accessible, in seasonal flower beds decorated with Easter lilies, forced spring bulbs, Azaleas, and the uncommon Schizanthus.
Daffodils are so prevalent at the Niagara Parks Commission that it is frequently referred to as “The Daffodil Capital of North America.” Tulips and its sister plant, the Narcissus, also produce copious amounts of flowers there.
The park’s gardens are adorned with the Orange Queen, Blueberry Ripple, and various shades of pink tulips throughout the spring.
Burlington Royal Botanical Garden
The lilac scent was enough to captivate me. The largest collection of lilacs in Canada is housed in this floral shop between Toronto and Niagara. You will undoubtedly get lost in the fantasy of Mother Nature as there are rows upon rows of lilac bushes and trees. The once barren, rocky north of the city is now home to Burlington’s Royal Botanical Garden, a lush oasis.
Thomas B. McQuesten bought some property in the 1920s and turned it into a rock garden by piling rocks into an ugly open pit. Lilacs are the main attraction in the Lilac Dell Arboretum, although tulips, peonies, and irises are other well-liked flowers.
An eruption of more than 100,000 tulips at the Rock Garden will make you smile with their vivid petals.
It’s little wonder Canada is lauded as “a hub for biodiversity.” More natural plant species are found on the grounds of Burlington Royal Botanical Garden than in any other place in the nation, according to the RBG.
The Best Time To Visit Botanical Gardens In Canada
Every season features a different draw. You’ll see a lot of trees and flowering bulbs in the spring. The summer, when the majority of the gardens are at their best, is also magnificent. Fall offers a fantastic display of color as well.
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