Vancouver Garden Guide

Escape the bustle of the city at Vancouver's gardens. These lush islands of green within the city explode with vibrant colours and floral scents each spring and summer.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Open since 1975, the 55-acre VanDusen Botanical Garden is a natural oasis in the middle of Vancouver. The garden sprawls across about 16 city blocks and has sinuous paths that wind through sections grouped by ecosystems from around the world.

Spring is the best time to visit when the flowers bloom and the garden is awash in colour. But you can find fresh flowers well into summer thanks to Vancouver's moderate climate and mindful planting. You can walk through orderly beds of tulips and roses, spot cherry and magnolia trees in bloom, and marvel at dozens of tree species.

Between May 23 and June 1 you can enjoy a special exhibition from Fleurs de Villes. Inspired by the upcoming third Downton Abbey film, the floral mannequins will be decked out in period fashion crafted by local floral designers.

You can book tickets online in advance at a small discount or purchase them at the Visitor Centre when you arrive. Prices vary by season. If you get hungry, The Garden Cafe and Shaughnessy Restaurant are both on-site.

Queen Elizabeth Park

Queen Elizabeth Park sits atop Little Mountain, the highest point in Vancouver, so it has great views of the city and the North Shore Mountains. The sunken Quarry Gardens occupy a former stone quarry, which allows you to get a unique aerial perspective on the gardens from the walkways on the rim. Wander the manicured paths past flower beds and trickling water features.

Later in the season, head to the southwest part of the park to enjoy the blooms at the Rose Garden. It contains dozens of varieties of roses including hybrid species developed in Canada. Admission to both gardens is free.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

First opened in 1986, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden was one of the first Ming Dynasty-style gardens to be built outside of China. The walled garden sits on the edge of Vancouver's Chinatown. The garden is designed to reflect the beauty of all four seasons, but spring visitors can enjoy rhododendrons, cherry blossoms, magnolias, camellias and more.

The garden is open to the public five days a week and admission is charged. You can also sign up for events and workshops like the Garden Tea Festival, Tai Chi classes, and tea ceremonies.

Stanley Park

While Stanley Park is best known for the oceanside Seawall walking path, the park has several gorgeous gardens that are free to visit.

Find the Stanley Park Rose Garden near the park entrance. First planted in 1920, it includes about 3,500 rose bushes along with other floral displays in orderly beds. Don't miss the arbour draped with climbing roses and clematis. Visit in late May and early June to catch peak bloom.

The Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden is tucked away between Lost Lagoon and the Pitch and Putt Golf Course near the less-visited southwestern edge of the park. There are over 4,500 rhododendron and azalea bushes in a variety of colours. Most bloom during the first two weeks of May. The grassy areas between the bushes are the perfect spot for a picnic.

UBC Botanical Garden

The UBC Botanical Garden is Canada's oldest university botanical garden, opened in 1916. The garden is organized into several sections that showcase plants from regions around the world. The climbing clematis and wisteria arbour are a spring highlight. But you'll also find seasonal blooms in the Gary Oak Meadow and Woodland Garden, which showcases the biodiversity of a threatened local ecosystem.

The gardens are open six days a week and admission is charged. You can also add on admission to the Greenheart TreeWalk, a loop of elevated walkways suspended in the canopy of an old-growth coastal rainforest.

Nitobe Memorial Garden

Nitobe Memorial Garden on the UBC Campus is one of the most authentic traditional Japanese Gardens outside of Japan. The design of the garden creates a sense of harmony with nature while also highlighting the passing seasons. Carefully pruned Japanese maples and cherry trees create natural frames to view ponds and sculptures around the garden. In the spring, cherry blossoms and rhododendrons make splashes of colour against the verdant green.

You can visit Nitobe Garden from Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is charged but you can buy a combo admission with the nearby UBC Botanical Garden. You can also book a time slot to attend a traditional tea ceremony at the garden's Japanese-style tea house.