At 190 acres, nestled in the center of Montreal across from the Olympic Stadium, the Botanical Garden of Montreal is a great attraction to visit and make a day of it. It is part of the Espace pour la vie (Space for life) complex, which also includes the Insectarium, Planetarium and the Biodome. All within walking distance and all interesting attractions to visit.
We came to see the Botanical Garden and were lucky to see a temporary exhibit of silk lanterns (the Gardens of Lights) which has been put up for display throughout the gardens and is being held in September and October. This may be a yearly event so do keep an eye out when planning your visit.
The lanterns were beautiful, many enormous, and they were placed strategically throughout the garden. If you can stay into the evening, the lanterns are lit up and I am sure would be amazing. With our short visit, we had dinner plans and were only able to admire them during the day.
The gardens are broken up into multiple sections. A Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, and a First Nations Garden take up a large part of the site and include themed buildings and plants. We really felt like we were visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing or a park in Japan. All the gardens were spectacular. In addition, there were rose gardens (we were late, but still saw many in bloom) and vegetable gardens as well as one highlighting poisonous plants.
The Botanical Garden of Montreal was founded in the middle of the Great Depression in 1931 by Brother Marie-Victorin. On site you can still see the Monastery Garden complete with a well reminiscent of medieval times.
Chinese Garden
The Chinese Garden is made in a Ming dynasty style and includes a small hill constructed across the lake. It reminded us of exiting the Forbidden City and climbing the hill across the street to get some nice views. Mostly filled with a variety of Chinese plants, be sure to visit the small Bonsai exhibit which has some amazing specimens including this 140-year-old bonsai tree which was showing its fall colors. Wow!
The Chinese Garden was added between 1990-1991 and was the work of 50 artisans from the Shanghai Institute of Landscape Design and Architecture under the direction of Le Weizhong. A total of 120 containers of material were imported from China including 500 tons of stone.
Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden was added in 1988 and houses many Japanese plants as well as a traditional tea house (currently a small museum). Tea ceremonies are performed there during the summer, as well as classes on traditional Japanese tea practices. Be sure to see the large Koi pond.
First Nations Garden
The First Nations Garden was added in 2001 and represents the various cultures of Canada’s indigenous population. Plants from Quebec and other North American regions are on display highlighting the many medicinal and edible plants used by the First Nations People. Admire the many totem poles along the way. With some luck you might spot a heron or some of the ducks.
Greenhouses
Be sure to visit the greenhouses to see the extensive collection of orchids and tropical plants.
Inside there is also an interesting collection of bonsai and penjing. The museum also houses a cacti and succulents plants exhibit.
Conclusion
Overall, we very much enjoyed our visit to the Montreal Botanical Garden (Jardin botanic de Montréal) and would highly recommend the visit. Even in mid-October there were plenty of blooms.
We plan to return at different times of the year as I’m sure the variety of plants and exhibits would make it worthwhile. Looking forward to a visit in springtime.
Good to know:
- There is plenty of parking (paid) at the entrance gate.
- Entry is discounted for residents (CA$16.50) but reasonable for all (CA$22), and discounted for seniors, students, and children. For more information, see Space for Life (Espace pour la vie) website
- Timed tickets are available and recommended for the Gardens of Light experience.
- There is an on-site cafeteria-style restaurant where we were able to grab some snacks.
Updated October 15, 2022