Bloomcations: Best Canadian Gardens

Spring marks the beginning of blooms, bee buzz and floral scents in Canadian cities. The coming of spring and summer provides an opportunity for Canadians and travelers to our country to get outside and smell the roses.

To many, the floral season following winter hibernation, is a welcome sight and scent.

It is well documented that Canada has some of the best gardens in the world. Our garden parks create colorful displays of native flowers, shrubs and trees, as well as, flowers from around the world. Many of our parks decorate themselves with walking paths, sightseeing benches, ponds, fountains and sculptures. Many tell the stories of our history, traditions and culture.

We invite you to read and visit the hundreds of gardens we have posted on our ehCanadaTravel.com website.

Below is a list of some of the favourite gardens we have visited, photographed and explored during our research road trips across Canada.

English Gardens, Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba

English Gardens, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The English Gardens located in the Assiniboine Park also includes the many statues of the Leo Mol Gallery. The cobblestone walking paths explore over 3 acres of flower beds. The rose beds in the garden includes 400+ bushes of Floribunda, Grandiflora and Rugosa rose species which surrounds a central lily pond with a statue (boy and boot). Next door to the gardens are the many sculptures of Leo Mol. The cobblestone paths are lined with many sightseeing benches.

Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada

The gardens are open year round. The rose collection of the garden is one of the best in the world. Each rose is marked with the country of origin. Overall there are 117 varieties of tea rose plants, 64 types of floribundas, and 400 grandiflora roses planted on the 55 acres of Butchart Gardens. Further to roses – the rhododendrons are a dominating sight in the early spring. The assortment of perennials are a highlight throughout most of the year. The Chinese Gardens and the Italian Gardens are big attractions during the fall.

Rideau Hall Gardens, Ottawa, Canada

Rideau Hall Gardens, Ottawa

Ottawa’s Rideau Hall is the official residence of the Governor General of Canada. Surrounding the beautiful stone home of the Governor general is a vast garden of flowers and trees measuring over 32 hectares (79-acre). The garden began around the year 1838. The style of the gardens is a combination of classic English and Canadian gardening styles. The trees in the garden are often planted by visiting Heads of State numbering in the thousands.

Montreal Botanical Gardens, Quebec, Canada

This is one of the largest displays of plants, flowers and trees in the country with over 22,000 species. The garden has many gardening techniques on display including English, Japanese, North American, Chinese, and First Nations. All plants are labelled and some housed in the largest greenhouse complex in Canada. And a greenhouse with butterflies. The gardens are seasonal with outdoor displays and there is a greenhouse full of butterflies.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls, Ontario

The popular floral park was first established in 1936 and covers over 40 hectares (99 acres). The highlights of the park are the Butterfly Conservatory and the Rose Garden featuring over 2400 roses. The walking trails in the garden are lined with sightseeing benches and lead to towers, ponds, fountains, bird sanctuary, waterfall and woodland, herb, rock, perennial, bog and, shrub gardens.

Queen Gardens, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Wascana Park surrounds Wascana Lake and follows Wascana Creek and is currently labelled as one of the TOP 5 largest urban parks in Canada measuring over 931 hectares (2300 acres). Within the park are the provinces Legislature buildings and the Queens Gardens. The gardens consist of numerous well manicured flower beds. At the foot of the gardens is a statue of Queen Elizabeth riding her horse.

Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, Lethbridge, Alberta

Combining the traditions and beliefs of the Japanese people these gardens are all about tranquility and peace of mind. The 4 acre garden rests on the shores of Henderson Lake. Water, trees and rocks are features of these gardens. There are running creeks, ponds, bridges and Japanese sculptures decorating the landscape. On site is a traditional Japanese building and women dressed in kimonos.

Public Gardens, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

A National Historic Site of Canada and one of the last Victorian Gardens in Canada. The gardens are decorated with tree lined trails, large grass lawns, statues, fountains and floral gardens – together they measure 6.4 hectares (16 acres). There are tropical, herbaceous, dahlia and rhododendron flower beds.

**********

ehCanadaTravel.com (eh Canada Travel & Adventure) is the largest and fastest growing booking, planning and researching tourism and travel website for Western and Northern Canada currently expanding into Eastern and Atlantic Canada. The EH Team Brothers (Co Founders) also author the eh Canada Travel Blog which was recently awarded “A Top Canadian Blogger” by FlightNetwork.com.

**********