July 1st, we celebrate Canada Day. But how much do you know about this vast country? Have you driven the total length from New Foundland to Vancouver Island? Or vice-versa? It's a very special journey - and to visit Canada's best gardens will give you a reason to finally explore the country in all its beauty. Here are the top botanical destinations:
Memorial University Botanical Garden is located in St. John's, Newfoundland, and is known for its cultivated gardens and natural habitats. The botanical gardens are also used for environmental, botanical and horticultural education and research.
Nova Scotia's http://www.historicgardens.com/ features many themed gardens linked by picturesque paths that display plant collections, such as the Rose Collection pictured above. The collection contains over 230 cultivars.
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The New Brunswick Botanical Garden spreads over an area of more than 17 acres, showcasing over 80,000 plants. The rose garden, rhododendrons, luxuriant annuals, and perennials offer a symphony of color. Visitors love the spectacular arboretum. The New Brunswick Botanical Garden is also a center for the study.
Kingsbrae Garden, located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, is a 27-acre public garden. The many themed gardens boast more than 50,000 plants. The garden also features a genuine Dutch windmill, which draws water up from the lower pond through a sluice to the upper pond. The water then trickles down a rocky course before returning to the lower pond.
The Montréal Botanical Garden is one of the best in the country and deserves praise for weathering some mighty cold winters. Stroll through and enjoy many of the 22,000 plant species and cultivars that grow here and don't miss the 10 exhibition greenhouses.
When visiting the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) you can explore the 12 award-winning themed gardens spread over four acres. The TBG also hosts tours, programs, nature day camps, and field trips. Don't miss the LEED Silver Certified Building; its energy-efficient slopping green roof and eco-conscious design are award-winning.
Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario is full of color all year long. Enjoy winter in the indoor Mediterranean Garden and spectacular spring and summer outdoor displays that burst into bloom. Royal Botanical Gardens is alive with color, scent, and spectacle.
The Crofter's Cottage in the English Garden of Assiniboine Park, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a popular site. This heavily planted precinct of one of North America's largest urban parks boasts visits upwards of 4.4 million annually. Both locals and visitors love The English Garden for its spectacular seasonal color and texture, as well as the wide variety of plants.
Visitors to Lethbridge, Alberta's breathtaking Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden come here to enjoy the peaceful grounds. It's an authentic Japanese meditation garden that's well worth the visit to escape the stresses of everyday life. Explore the many meticulously pruned trees and shrubs, the only flowering plants that grow in the garden.
Hatley Park, located in Victoria, British Columbia, is one of Canada's National Historical sites. Aside from the stunning Edwardian estate, this historic site features hundreds of heritage trees, including 250-year-old Douglas firs. The park boasts over 600 acres of forest, which can be explored from the many hiking and biking trails. The most popular gardens are the Rose, Japanese and Formal Italian, which are open to the public.
Located beside the 7,000-foot Mount Chem, Minter Gardens is one of British Columbia's many stunning attractions. It features 10 different Canadiana gardens intertwined with waterfalls. The gardens also have beautiful displays of containers, tropical specimens, and intriguing annual designs.
The David C. Lam Asian Garden is the largest area in the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. Visitors can explore the many plants and trees from Tibet, Japan, China, Korea, Manchuria and other regions of the world. Favorites include the stunning magnolias and rhododendrons. Visitors also love the paperbark (Acer griseum) and snake-bark (A. capillipes) maples.
Vancouver's VanDusen Botanical Garden is a pleasure to visit year-round. The garden has 55 acres worth of plants gathered from around the world. The Laburnum Walk, pictured above, is in full bloom from late May through June.
Glendale Gardens, located in Victoria, British Columbia, calls itself the 'garden for gardeners'. This six-acre garden is located on a large nature conservancy, which is also home to the Pacific Horticultural College. Explore the grounds along its many trails. Glendale Gardens boasts 10,000 varieties of plants in 28 demonstration gardens, including lovely perennial borders, Japanese and Zen gardens and the Doris Page Winter Garden.
There are many more natural beauties along the route, for example, the Reford Gardens - Jardins de Métis - near Rimouski on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Or the downtown Halifax, NS, beautiful Victorian-inspired Public Garden, open for visitors since 1867 - just to name two of the many lovely places.
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