Montreal Gardens: Manicured Treasures
Despite Montreal's less than idyllic weather with almost half of a typical Quebec or Canadian calendar year covered by winter's cold stare, there are a handful of places that bloom to manicured perfection once the ground thaws. For free or for a modest fee, flora fans are well advised to visit the Montreal gardens listed below. They're the best in the city.
Despite Montreal's less than idyllic weather with almost half of a typical Quebec or Canadian calendar year covered by winter's cold stare, there are a handful of places that bloom to manicured perfection once the ground thaws. For free or for a modest fee, flora fans are well advised to visit the Montreal gardens listed below. They're the best in the city.
Montreal Botanical Gardens
Photo © Evelyn Reid
One of the largest nature museums of its kind in the world, the Montreal Botanical Gardens -- or Jardins Botaniques de Montréal -- is 185 acres of floral contemplation with 22,000 plant species from home and around the globe. Arguably the most beautiful location in the city, ten indoor greenhouses are open year-round, and spring, summer and fall feature several outdoor theme gardens, including:
- a Chinese garden
- a Japanese garden
- a shade garden
- a lily garden
- a rose garden
- an arboretum
- a First Nations garden
Jardins des Floralies Gardens
Photo © Evelyn Reid
Remnants of the 1980 horticultural fair, the International Floralies, the Floralies gardens -- Jardins des Floralies in French -- became a permanent city fixture on 25 acres of Parc Jean-Drapeau's Île Notre-Dame. Surrounded by Montreal's racetrack Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, urban beach Plage Doré and the Montreal Casino, access to the grounds is free of charge. A genuinely delightful place to spend the day, have a picnic and bring some friends or a good book, just watch out for the groundhogs.
Plan your next visit. Find out how to get to the Floralies Gardens and discover attractions on the way to the grounds, like the Montreal Biosphere's geodesic dome.
