Jardin Botanique

Frommer's Review

Spread across 75 hectares (185 acres), Montréal's Botanical Garden is a fragrant oasis 12 months a year. Ten large conservatory greenhouses each have a theme: one houses orchids, another has begonias and African violets, and yet another features rainforest flora.

Outdoors, spring is when things really kick in: lilacs in May, lilies in June, and roses from mid-June until the first frost. The Chinese Garden, a joint project of Montréal and Shanghai, evokes the 14th- to 17th-century era of the Ming Dynasty and was built according to the Chinese landscape principles of yin and yang. It incorporates pavilions, inner courtyards, ponds, and myriad plants indigenous to China. The serene Japanese Garden fills 6 hectares (15 acres) and includes a cultural pavilion with an art gallery, a tearoom where ancient ceremonies are performed, a stunning bonsai collection, and a Zen garden.

A small train runs through the gardens from mid-May to October and is worth the small fee charged to ride it.

The grounds are also home to the Insectarium, which displays some of the world's most beautiful and sinister insects. Birders should bring binoculars with which to spot some of the more than 190 species here. An extensive website (listed below) provides great details on everything.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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