Bear Creek Gardens. Photo: Scarlet Black/Surrey.ca
Spring has officially sprung in Vancouver. There are over two dozen beautiful gardens around the Vancouver area where you can enjoy gorgeous spring flowers. Explore rose gardens, Asian gardens, botanical gardens, walled gardens, and lots more.
Until further notice, in line with the public health order, non-essential travel into, within, and out of BC is not recommended. BC residents, let’s do our part by continuing to stay small and support local with your immediate household, in accordance with the latest guidelines.
VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver
A Vancouver institution since 1975, VanDusen Botanical Garden has 55 acres of plants from around the world. Wander the winding paths in the spring to see dozens of different flowers in bloom. Book tickets online in advance.
Photo: Tourism Vancouver/VanDusen Gardens
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver
Designed in Ming Dynasty style, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a peaceful botanical escape in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown. Book tickets online in advance.
Quarry Gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver
Built inside the stone excavations of a former stone quarry, the manicured Quarry Gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park first opened in 1954. Explore the paths through the flower beds or gaze down at the spectacle from the walkways above the quarry walls.
Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC, Vancouver
Considered one of the best traditional Japanese Gardens outside of Japan, Nitobe Memorial Garden was designed to create a sense of harmony with nature and to highlight the passing seasons. Spring is a gorgeous time to visit when the cherry trees blossom. Book tickets online in advance.
UBC Botanical Garden, Vancouver
The expansive UBC Botanical Garden is Canada’s oldest university botanic garden, established in 1916. Its themed sections offer a wide variety of blooms, but the real spring show-stoppers are the climbing clematis and wisteria in the arbour. Book tickets online in advance.
UBC Rose Garden, Vancouver
Set at the north end of campus, the UBC Rose Garden features more than a dozen types of roses. The garden also has incredible views of the ocean and the North Shore Mountains.
Stanley Park Rose Garden
The first roses in the Stanley Park Rose Garden were planted in 1920. Today it has over 3,500 rose bushes. Don’t miss the climbing roses and clematis in the arbour.
Stanley Park Rose Garden. Photo: Tourism Vancouver/Nelson Mouellic
Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden in Stanley Park
Plan your visit to the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden in early May to see the bushes in full bloom. Located near the Pitch & Putt in Stanley Park, it has about 4,500 plants.
Park and Tilford Gardens, North Vancouver
The beautiful Park and Tilford Gardens are a bit of local’s secret, hidden in the corner of the Park and Tilford Shopping Centre. Visit in the spring to catch the magnolias in bloom and wander through the seclusion of the walled gardens.
Centennial Rose Garden, Burnaby Mountain Park, Burnaby
Known for great views of Vancouver, Burnaby Mountain Park is also home to the Centennial Rose Garden. It features dozens of rose varieties and over 900 bushes.
Century Gardens, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby
The floral displays at Century Gardens in Burnaby’s Deer Lake are spectacular each spring. Dozens of intricately planted beds display blooms of almost every imaginable shade.
Queens Park Rose Garden, New Westminster
The manicured Rose Garden in New Westminster’s Queens Park is a popular spot for weddings. It has over 600 roses and a cute gazebo.
Friendship Gardens, New Westminster
New Westminster’s Friendship Gardens provide a tranquil setting near City Hall. Wander amongst the ponds, mini-waterfalls, and numerous floral displays.
Minoru Park, Richmond
Head to the quiet heart of Minoru Park in Richmond to enjoy the floral displays near the chapel. The nearby paths also host roses, cherry blossoms, and colourful flower beds.
Chapel and gardens at Minoru Park in Richmond. Photo: Tourism Richmond / John Lee
Inspiration Garden, Town Centre Park, Coquitlam
The unique Inspiration Garden in Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park was designed to inspire gardeners and provide education about water-wise gardening, composting, and beekeeping. The flower beds are spectacular in spring, but the stand-out feature is the unique botanical sculptures.
Centennial Rose Garden, Coquitlam
Stop to smell the roses at Coquitlam’s Centennial Rose Garden. Maintained by volunteers from the Fraser Pacific Rose Society it boasts over 900 rose bushes. There is even a section that contains only Canadian hybridized roses.
Bear Creek Gardens, Surrey
Originally planted in 1973, Surrey’s Bear Creek Gardens features rhododendrons, azaleas, heather, and dozens of bedding plants. In the spring the cedar arch at the entrance is covered in dreamy climbing wisteria.
Darts Hill Garden Park, Surrey
The 7.5-acre Darts Hill Garden Park was a gift to the City of Surrey in 1994. Francesca and Edwin Dart created the beautiful garden, and today it is administered by volunteers from the Darts Hill Garden Conservancy Trust Society.
Rhododendrons at Darts Hill Garden Park. Photo: Darts Hill Garden Park
Fleetwood Gardens, Surrey
Nestled into the corner of Surrey’s Fleetwood Park, Fleetwood Gardens features several different themed sections of blooms with over 100 varieties of perennials. There’s also a pergola draped in wisteria and clematis.
Hawthorne Gardens, Surrey
Surrey’s Hawthorne Gardens feature many varieties of flowering trees and shrubs including rhododendrons, dogwoods, magnolias, and cherries.
Holland Gardens, Surrey
Holland Gardens is one of the newest gardens on this list, planted in 2008. The centrepiece of the park is its “blooming river” where floral planters sit on pedestals within the gardens’ water feature.
Holland Park Gardens. Photo: Scarlet Black/Surrey.ca
International Friendship Garden, Abbotsford
The serene International Friendship Garden is located next to Abbotsford’s Clearbrook Library. Take a moment to admire the mini-waterfall and floral plantings.
