Nature is never far away in British Columbia, even in cities and towns. Vancouver's Stanley Park was named one of the “Five Best Urban Escapes in Canada” by The Independent, a UK newspaper (2007). As well, dozens of BC communities have beautified their green spaces through the national “Communities in Bloom” program.
Gardens flourish in southern BC due to long growing seasons, mild temperatures and a healthy amount of rainfall. Stroll by perfectly coiffed blooms at large formal gardens such as The Butchart Gardens near Victoria and Minter Gardens in Chilliwack, or investigate exotic species in Vancouver's UBC Botanical Garden and VanDusen Botanical Garden.
Looking for a unique garden experience? Admire fields of fragrant purple lavender at the Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm, wade into a seaweed garden near Sooke, or join a boat tour from Tofino to visit Cougar Annie’s garden.
Gardens in BC’s Cities and Regions:
Vancouver: Iconic Stanley Park, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden, and two botanical gardens: VanDusen and UBC.
Victoria: The Butchart Gardens is a highlight, along with Hatley Park, Butterfly Gardens, Abkhazi Garden and more.
Vancouver Coast & Mountains: Famous Minter Gardens, a unique floating garden, and a mountain-framed tulip farm.
Thompson Okanagan: Lush lavender fields, an interpretive desert centre, and pretty Elysium Gardens.
Vancouver Island: An abundance of gardens, including Milner Gardens & Woodlands, Tofino Botanical Gardens, and Ronning’s Gardens.
Kootenay Rockies: The Nakusp Waterfront Japanese Gardens and the Nikkei Memorial Centre Gardens commemorate history. Cominco Gardens is a burst of colour.
Northern British Columbia: Prince Rupert’s Sunken Gardens, the “Old Church Gardens” in Smithers, and the eleven themed gardens of Dawson Creek’s Gardens North.
Stanley Park
Stanley Park has something for everyone, with its winding seawall, iconic Vancouver Aquarium, and a half dozen or so gardens nestled throughout the park. Don’t miss the spectacular Stanley Park Rose Garden, and check out the city’s first public garden, a rock garden that has been around for more than 100 years.
Formal Gardens
The Butchart Gardens (near Victoria) is a National Historic Site and boasts 22ha/55ac of year-round garden mastery. Impeccable floral displays are the main draw, but there are also fireworks, a carousel and boat tours. Fifty full-time gardeners keep blooms brilliant for nearly one million annual visitors.
Chilliwack’s Minter Gardens is an explosion of colour from March to mid-October. Mount Cheam provides an impressive backdrop for theme gardens, azaleas, rhododendrons, roses and more.
Milner Gardens in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island was named one of the ten best public gardens in Canada by Canadian Geographic Travel magazine (2008). It features more than 500 rhododendrons along with wisteria, honeysuckle, hydrangeas, and woodlands.
Botanical Gardens
More than 255,000 plants means there’s always something to discover at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Visit in spring to see delicate pink cherry blossoms or at Christmas to see more than one million lights artistically arranged in the garden.
The UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver has a leading plant research arm, which translates to expertise for their public display of plants along quiet, forested paths. Take a canopy walkway tour for a unique 17.5-m/57-ft high perspective of the garden and forest.
Tofino has a small 12-ac/5-ha botanical garden that clearly makes an impression – it was named a “Favourite Garden” by the Editor of BBC Gardeners’ World magazine. Admire pocket gardens displaying temperate rainforest plants and peek in a bird blind to look for shorebirds in the estuary.
Historic Gardens
Vancouver's Chinatown is home to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden. This classical Chinese garden, a unique cultural experience in the midst of the busy city, plays with the balance of yin and yang using plants, water, rocks and architecture.
The Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre in New Denver is a one-of-a-kind centre in Canada that offers insight into the World War II internment of thousands of Japanese-Canadians. Rare plants make up the site’s Japanese garden, set amidst historic buildings.
Unique Garden Experiences
Step aboard a floating garden on Gibsons' wharf on the Sunshine Coast, or head for the water on Vancouver Island with a tour of a natural seaweed garden, complete with low-tide ocean nibbling. In Northern BC, Prince Rupert's mariner-themed garden includes a fishing boat that drifted across the ocean from Japan.
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