 Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Tourism BC photo
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 and VanDusen botanical gardens.
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” secluded garden.
Gardens and City Parks in BC’s Cities and RegionsVancouver: 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.
Whistler: Great lakeside parks near Whistler Village, as well as an interpretive forest to explore.
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: Gardens all over. Milner Gardens & Woodlands, Tofino Botanical Gardens, and Ronning’s Gardens are some to see.
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: A park with the Mile Zero Cairn, Mariner’s Park (with a Japanese fishing boat), and outdoor activities in Forests for the World park.
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast: Nice city parks near communities such as Quesnel, and nature-based parks such as Scout Island.
Stanley Park Nesting bald eagles, a great blue heron colony, and raccoon families are proof that Vancouver's Stanley Park is more than just a park – it’s a true forest. Walk along shaded paths, bicycle the winding seawall, visit the rose gardens or wander by swans at Lost Lagoon. Scan the water for glossy seals or head to the iconic Vancouver Aquarium. Stanley Park is a must-visit in any season.
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 magazine (2008). It features 500 varieties of 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 near Christmas to see more than one million lights artistically arranged in the garden.
The University of BC Botanical Garden in Vancouver has a leading plant research arm, which translates to loads of 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 “Favorite 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 and Parks  Vancouver's Chinatown is home to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden. This classical Chinese garden plays with the balance of yin and yang using plants, water, rocks and architecture and is a unique cultural experience in the midst of the busy city.
The Nikkei Memorial Internment Centre in New Denver is a one-of-a-kind centre in Canada dedicated to the World War II internment of thousands of Japanese-Canadians. Rare plants make up the site’s Japanese garden, which is set amidst historic buildings.
Unique Garden and Park ExperiencesStep aboard a floating garden on Gibsons' wharf on the Sunshine Coast, or take a boat from Tofino to explore remote “Cougar Annie’s Garden”. In Castlegar, pop by Zuckerberg Island Heritage Park for a peek at a chapel-style house and the “stump woman”.
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.
Whistler has a string of delightful lakeside parks with incredible mountain views, and Clayton Falls Park in Bella Coola is a pleasant surprise for travelers looking to stop, relax, and enjoy the coastal view.
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