Garden sights in Canada
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Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden & Park
A tranquility break from clamorous Chinatown, this intimate ‘garden of ease’ illustrates the Taoist symbolism behind the placing of gnarled pine trees, winding covered pathways and ancient limestone formations. Entry includes a fascinating 45-minute guided tour – look out for the lazy turtles bobbing in the jade-colored water – where you’ll learn that everything in the garden reflects balance and harmony. Check the garden’s website for its summer schedule of Friday-evening concerts. Adjacent is the free-entry Dr Sun Yat-Sen Park. Not quite as elaborate as its sister, it’s still a pleasant oasis of whispering grasses, a large fishpond and a small pagoda.
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Vandusen Botanical Garden
Vancouver's favorite ornamental green space, this 22-hectare idyll is a web of paths weaving through 40 small, specialized gardens: The Rhododendron Walk blazes with color in spring, while the nearby Korean Pavilion is a focal point for a fascinating Asian plant collection. There's also a fun Elizabethan maze, walled by 1000 pyramidal cedars, and an intriguing menagerie of marble sculptures. Free tours are offered daily at 2pm. The gardens are a Christmastime magnet, with thousands of fairy lights illuminating the dormant plant life. Check the website to see what's in bloom seasonally and consider dropping by the bustling June Garden Show (www.vancouvergardenshow.com).
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Queen Elizabeth Park
The city’s highest point – it’s 167m above sea level and has panoramic views of the mountain-framed downtown skyscrapers – this 52-hectare park claims to house specimens of every tree native to Canada. Sports fields, manicured lawns and two formal gardens keep the locals happy, and you’ll likely also see wide-eyed couples posing for their wedding photos. Check out the synchronized fountains at the park’s summit, where you’ll also find a hulking Henry Moore bronze called Knife Edge – Two Piece. If you want to be taken out to the ball game, the recently restored Nat Bailey Stadium is a popular summer-afternoon haven for baseball fans.
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Bloedel Floral Conservatory
Cresting the hill in Queen Elizabeth Park, this triodetic domed conservatory – an ideal indoor warm-up spot on a rainy day – is the area’s green-fingered centerpiece. It has three climate-controlled zones with 400 plant species, dozens of koi carp and many free-flying tropical birds, including parrots and macaws: ask for a free brochure to help you identify the exotic flora and fauna. At the time of research, the conservatory was under threat of closure due to funding issues so call first before you head over.
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E
Allan Gardens Conservatory
The jewels of this scruffy city park are its six early-20th-century greenhouses, filled with huge palms and trees from around the world divided into arid, cool and tropical plantings. On a cold day it's a great place to warm up – check out the spiky golden barrel cacti in the arid garden and pretend you're in Death Valley. Speaking of which, death is something you might come a little closer to if you walk through the park after dark… Limited free parking is available off Horticultural Ave.
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Nitobe Memorial Garden
Exemplifying Japanese horticultural philosophies, this verdant tranquility oasis includes a Tea Garden – complete with ceremonial teahouse – and a Stroll Garden that reflects a symbolic journey through life, with its little waterfalls and languid koi carp. Named after Dr Inazo Nitobe, a scholar whose mug appears on Japan’s ¥5000 bill, consider a springtime visit for the florid cherry blossom displays.
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Muttart Conservatory
Looking like some sort of pyramid-shaped, glass bomb shelter, the Muttart Conservatory sits south of the river off James MacDonald Bridge. Each of the four pyramids holds a different climate region and corresponding foliage. It's an interesting place to wander about, especially for gardeners, plant fans and those in the mood for something low-key.
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Toronto Music Garden
This sculpted garden was designed in collaboration with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It aims to express Bach's Suite No 1 for Unaccompanied Cello through landscape, with an arc-shaped grove of conifers, a swirling path through a wildflower meadow and a grass-stepped amphitheatre where free summer concerts are held.
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Cascade Gardens
The Cascade Gardens, south across the Bow River Bridge, burst with flowers. A stream, ponds and a few benches dot the gardens. In summer the Siksiki Nation erects a tepee with displays of traditional culture and dance exhibitions.
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Kasugai Gardens
Behind Kelowna's museum, the beautifully manicured grounds of Kasugai Gardens are good for a peaceful stroll. Named for Kelowna's sister city in Japan, the gardens do the relationship proud.
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Penticton Rose Garden
If you want to take some time out to smell the roses, you can stroll around the Penticton Rose Garden.
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