A year-round mild climate and ample green space means the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region is lush with parks and fragrant gardens.
The iconic Stanley Park is a National Historic Site and has been recognized internationally as one of the top city parks in Canada: it was named by the UK’s The Independent newspaper in 2007 as one of the “Five Best Urban Escapes in Canada” and Frommer’s called it the “green jewel of Vancouver”.
Wander through a tulip farm near Mission, relax in the tranquil setting of the multi-themed Minter Gardens in Chilliwack and see a unique “floating garden” on the Sunshine Coast.
Other parks and gardens in the region are sure to appeal to any nature-lover, or those simply wishing to enjoy some peace and quiet.
Learn more about Vancouver Gardens and City Parks
Stanley Park
As North America’s third largest city park, this 400-ha/1000-ac urban oasis in the heart of downtown Vancouver is a haven for tourists and locals alike. With much to see and do it’s no wonder Stanley Park draws an estimated 8 million visitors each year. Picnic amid the colourful displays of the Rose Garden or stroll through forests of towering trees. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride, play a game of tennis or visit the totem poles at Brockton Point – considered the province’s most visited site. Other park features include: a water-park, picnic areas, pitch-and-putt, Painter’s Circle, petting zoo, outdoor theatre and restaurants.
Learn more about Stanley Park in Vancouver BC by clicking on Field Reporter Simon's video below.
Asian Gardens
Explore the small but beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden in Hope. It was built by local Japanese-Canadians as a memorial for those who were contained in a Japanese internment camp near here during WWII. The garden features a circular walkway, covered gazebo, pond and beautiful cherry blossom trees.
Multi-themed Gardens
The famous Minter Gardens in Chilliwack is a treat for the senses. Located at the foot of the towering 2133-m/7,000-ft Mt. Cheam, twelve-themed gardens burst with colour in artistic floral designs. See the garden’s 100,000 tulips imported from Holland and its 1,000 rhododendrons. Stroll through quiet woodlands, by waterfalls and brooks, and view garden art by local artists. Amenities include two restaurants and gift shop.
Learn more about Minter Gardens near Chilliwak BC by clicking on Field Reporter Simon's video below.
Specialty Gardens
See a unique tulip farm at the ‘Tulips of the Valley’ garden in Agassiz (near Mission). Across 16ha/40ac more than 30 varieties of Canadian grown tulips spill across the landscape and are a medley of colour against the snow-capped mountains. The tulips are best viewed in spring.
A profusion of dahlias can be found at Ferncliff Gardens in Mission. Visit the showgarden (open August - September) to see rows of more than a 150 varieties of dahlias. A nursery on site will help green-thumbed visitors get their dahlia gardens started.
The Tuscan Farm Gardens are located on 5ha/14ac of original Hudson Bay Company farmland in Langley. A large hayfield is bordered by rows of fresh herbs and wild lavender and Echinacea are strewn throughout. See the vegetable garden and smell the perfume of plants in the apothecary garden.
Historic Parks
Walk through the beautiful and historic Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission. Visit the park’s historical highlights which include a First Nations’ burial site and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a Marian shrine erected in 1892. A colourful rose garden overlooks the Fraser Valley. Other features include a bell tower, heritage house and restaurant.
Gardens on the Sunshine Coast
A unique “floating garden”, which was noted in Lonely Planet’s Canada guidebook (2008), is located in Gibsons. Three floating barges (of a private houseboat) are connected and overflow with vibrant annuals, trees and shrubs. A big draw for locals and tourists alike, this colourful wonder is best viewed from Gibsons Wharf.
The Sunshine Coast Botanical Society’s 16-ha/40-ac botanical garden in Sechelt is home to a large vegetable garden, native plants - including a grove of rare quaking aspen- and other mature trees. Guided tours take visitors on a walkway through the gardens and past ponds with frogs and ducks.