Discover Vancouver’s gardens for all seasons

While the British Columbia capital of Victoria might wear the crown of the “City of Gardens,” gardeners will find much to pique their interest in the province’s largest urban centre.

In addition to beautiful public spaces like Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver is also home to an array of distinctive specialty gardens, from the coastal forest and organic food garden of the UBC Botanical Garden to the urban escape of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood.

Here’s a look at what you’ll find, and how to plan your visit…

UBC Botanical Garden & Greenheart TreeWalk

Established in 1916, the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden is Canada’s oldest university botanic garden. Originally established to explore B.C.’s native flora, today, visitors can learn about plants from across the globe.

The UBC gardens offer a unique mix of spaces, from an alpine garden featuring plants in geographic zones to a tree-top canopy walk offering a bird’s-eye view of a coastal forest. You’ll also find a sustainable, organic food garden, a B.C. Rainforest Garden, Carolinian Forest Garden, physic garden and more.

If you go:

• Through Oct. 31, the gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday at 6804 SW Marine Dr. Note that the last entry for the tree walk is 3:30 p.m.
• Learn more at botanicalgarden.ubc.ca

Nitobe Memorial Garden

A few minutes north at UBC, the Nitobe Memorial Garden is a traditional Japanese stroll garden and authentic tea house celebrating the memory of Dr. Inazō Nitobe (1862-1933), who strove to promote a better understanding of Japanese culture in the West.

Considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, the garden for the seasons includes spring cherry blossoms, summer irises and maple leaves changing colours in fall.

If you go:

• Through Oct. 31, the gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, at 1895 Lower Mall.
• Learn more at botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/visit/nitobe-memorial-garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden

A true jewel among West Coast gardens, VanDusen is operated by the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association. Stroll its many meandering paths past ponds and lakes, through trees and ornamental beds. Get lost, at least for a little while, in the maze, explore the Canadian Heritage Garden or pause to smell the flowers in the Heritage Rose Garden.

Download a map here, then to help plan your visit, check out the bloom calendar and a variety of special events.

If you go:

• From June through Sept. 2, VanDusen Gardens welcomes visitors from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 5151 Oak St. The garden closes at 5 p.m. in September and October, with winter hours following.
• Learn more at vandusengarden.org

Bloedel Conservatory

A lush, temperature-controlled paradise beneath a glass dome – part of a heritage building in Queen Elizabeth Park – the Bloedel Conservatory is home to more than 100 exotic birds and 500 exotic plants and flowers.

Operated by City of Vancouver Park and the Vancouver Botanical Garden Association, the conservatory offers the opportunity to learn about the complex tropical and sub-tropical rainforest habitats, to engage the senses in the healing garden or to join the little ones in a scavenger hunt while you explore.

If you go:

• Located in Queen Elizabeth Park, 4600 Cambie St., the Conservatory is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., May to Sept. 2, closing at 5 p.m. through September and October and 4 p.m. from November through the end of February.
• Learn more at BloedelConservatory.ca

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden –

An oasis in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is an authentic representation of Ming Dynasty-era tradition – the first of its kind outside China.

Named World’s Top City Garden by National Geographic in 2011, visitors enjoy winding paths, rocks, plants and beautiful vistas. Adjacent is Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park, which, though separate from the garden, complements its design: “The two portions were in fact designed as one, with the park containing mostly plant material and the garden serving as the architectural heart of the scholar’s home … There is no rivalry here, with the two sides engaged only in ‘borrowing views’ from each other.”

If you go:

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 578 Carrall St. Also nearby is the recently opened Chinese Canadian Museum

Learn more at vancouverchinesegarden.com

READ MORE: An Island of Gardens

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