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travel / travel magazine / winter 2006
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| Meso Gallery at Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg
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Wander List
Tropics under glass
By Natalie St-Denis
A WINTER OUTING in Canada rarely
includes leisurely strolls along flower-lined
paths or sunny skies filled with birdsong.
But if you are looking for a tropical getaway,
check out one of Canada's botanical gardens
to indulge your senses with exotic
colours, sounds and fragrances.
MONTRÉAL BOTANICAL GARDEN
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the
Montréal Botanical Garden is home to
22,000 plant species and cultivars. A range
of botanical zones and designs is represented
in some 30 thematic gardens and 10
exhibition greenhouses, including the
Laurentian Woodlands, Arid Regions
Conservatory and the Japanese, French
and Chinese gardens.
(514) 872-1400;
www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en
ALLAN GARDENS, TORONTO
Allan
Gardens occupies five hectares in downtown
Toronto. Its 1,486-square-metre
Conservatory contains a Victorian-era
greenhouse, Palm House and five other
botanically themed gardens, such as arid,
tropical and cool temperature.
(416) 392-
7288; http://collections.ic.gc.ca/gardens/opening.html
ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS,
BURLINGTON, ONT.
The distinguished
Royal Botanical Gardens showcases each
major bloom period with festivals, entertainment
and displays. The Mediterranean
Garden brings together plants that thrive
in the cool Mediterranean winter. Catch
the year-round orchid exhibit or an early
glimpse of the spring bulb display.
(905)
527-1158; www.rbg.ca
PARKS BUTTERFLY
CONSERVATORY, NIAGARA FALLS, ONT.
Exotic greenery and gently flowing water
adorn the 1,022-square-metre rain-forest
setting of the Niagara Parks Butterfly
Conservatory. Some two thousand free-flying
individuals (some 50 different species
at any one time) flit around the lush tropical
habitat laced with pathways that will
lead you to hours of fascinating nature
study, including the sight of butterflies
emerging from their chrysalises.
(905)
371-0254; www.niagaraparks.com/nature/butterfly.php
ASSINIBOINE PARK CONSERVATORY,
WINNIPEG
The major indoor botanical
attraction at Assiniboine Park is the
Conservatory, which houses thousands of
non-native flowers, plants and trees. The
floral display gallery presents up to 10 horticultural
exhibits each year, such as bonsai
and orchids.
(204) 986-5537;
www.foundlocally.com/Winnipeg/Travel/Attr-TopAttractions.htm
WINGS OF PARADISE BUTTERFLY
CONSERVATORY, CAMBRIDGE, ONT.
You become part of a tropical Eden when
you enter the Wings of Paradise Butterfly
Conservatory. As you walk among more
than 75 species of flowering plants, shrubs
and trees, you will get up close and personal
with a few thousand butterflies as
they dance through the air or feed on delicate
blossoms or at nectar stations.
(519)
653-1234; www.wingsofparadise.com
DEVONIAN GARDENS, CALGARY
Occupying one hectare in the heart of the
city, the Devonian Gardens is Alberta's
largest indoor garden park. It contains
20,000 temperate and tropical plants,
waterfalls, ponds and fountains. Two kilometres
of walkways guide you through
three floors of botanically themed displays
that are periodically changed to reflect the
passing seasons. (403) 221-3782; www.calgary.ca
VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN,
VANCOUVER
Built on the site of former
CPR scrubland, VanDusen Botanical
Garden is a 22-hectare downtown oasis.
Housing 11,000 plants from five continents,
the garden's designs illustrate
botanical relationships, such as
Rhododendron Walk, or a species' geographical
origins, such as the Sino
Himalayan Garden.
(604) 878-9274; www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/vandusen
BLOEDEL FLORAL CONSERVATORY,
VANCOUVER
Located at the top of Queen
Elizabeth Park, the Bloedel Floral
Conservatory features three biomes - rain
forest, subtropical and desert - and supports
over 500 plant species. More than
100 bird species fly freely within the
expansive triodetic dome.
(604) 257-8584;
www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/bloedel/index.htm
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