Summer’s here and Canada’s public gardens are at their best. You know you want to visit them yourself – who wouldn’t want to stroll through a beautiful park filled with flowers – but maybe you feel you’re so tied up with your children or grandchildren you just can’t get away. Well, there’s an easy solution to that: bring them along!
Children love gardens. To them, they’re sites of enchantment and discovery. New colours to see, new scents to smell, curious textures to feel, and so much more. They’ll discover a pond, lake or river with fish and maybe even turtles. Many gardens let you feed the colourful koi (Japanese carp) that gather along the banks as you pass. When surrounded by flowers, have the kids search for insects and other critters. Bees, butterflies, damselflies and much more are there to see if only you take the time to notice them. You’ll certainly see birds and squirrels and maybe even a bunny! Use these discoveries to teach kids about the environment. Why are the bees and butterflies visiting the flowers? How do bees make honey? What do seeds turn into? How do heavy nuts move elsewhere to start a new tree? (Hint: watch the squirrels.)
Many gardens have specific play areas for kids (if there is a splash pond, make sure to bring a towel), special programmes for them on weekends or summer day programmes for kids. Some even have tree houses… for kids only, of course!
For the older kids, often less enthusiastic than their younger siblings, turn the trip into a competition: who can find the most animals (and yes, slugs do count!)? Name the most flowers? What’s the biggest flower or leaf they can find? The smallest? (Bring a tape measure to end any disputes.) Before you leave for the garden, prepare a list of the animals and plants the kids are likely to see: just watch their eyes light up as they check things off… then personalize the lists by adding their own discoveries.
Most gardens have a drinking fountain, but do bring other refreshments just in case. Many gardens allow and even encourage picnics, always a treat for kids. Bring plenty of sunscreen… and slip an umbrella into your bag, just in case. And do find out where the bathrooms are located when you arrive in the park: you know the kids are going to need them!
Enjoy a garden outing this summer with your kids or grandkids… and if they really have a good time, do it again at another of Canada’s numerous public gardens.
Larry Hodgson
The Gardens at Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Garden of the Provinces, Ottawa, Ontario
Gardens of North Bay Heritage Gardeners, North Bay, Ontario
Tangled Garden, Grand Pré, Nova Scotia
Les Jardins du Centre Horticulture du Pacifique, Victoria, British Columbia
Lieu historique national Parkwood , Oshawa, Ontario
Maison Saint-Gabriel, Musée et site historique, Montréal, Quebec
The Gardens at Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Domaine Joly-De Lotbinière, Sainte-Croix, Quebec
Allan Gardens Conservatory, Toronto, Ontario
Serre des parcs du Niagara , Niagara Falls, Ontario
Toronto Botanical Garden, Toronto, Ontario
Domaine Joly-De Lotbiniere, Sainte-Croix, Quebec
Kingsbrae Garden , St Andrews, New Brunswick
Toronto Music Garden , Toronto, Ontario
Rideau Woodland Ramble, Merrickville, Ontario
Whistling Gardens Botanical Gardens, Wilsonville, Ontario
University of Alberta Botanic Garden, Edmonton, Alberta
Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens and Peony Festival, Oshawa, Ontario
Jardins botaniques royaux, Burlington, Ontario
Joan of Arc Garden, Québec, Quebec
Jardins de Casa Loma, Toronto, Ontario
Calgary Zoo Botanical Garden, Calgary, Alberta
Les Jardins de Metis, Grand-Metis, Quebec
The Gardens at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, Victoria, British Columbia
Parc de la reine Victoria, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Commissioners Park, Ottawa, Ontario
Le Jardin A.M. (Mac) Cuddy, Strathroy, Ontario
1814 Treaty of Ghent Rose Garden, Ottawa, Ontario
Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus, Truro, Nova Scotia
The A.M. (Mac) Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario
VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia
The Mackenzie King Estate, Old Chelsea, Quebec
Parc des Commissaires, Ottawa, Ontario
Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ontario
Queen Victoria Park , Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Parkwood National Historic Site, Oshawa, Ontario
Jardin botanique et zoo de Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
The Arboretum, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario
Conservatoire du jardin Allan, Toronto, Ontario
Jardin de rocailles Reader, Calgary, Alberta
Jardin botanique du Nouveau-Brunswick, Edmundston (St-Jacques), New Brunswick
Windsor Sculpture Park, Windsor, Ontario
Jardin botanique de l'Université Memorial, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ontario
Arboretum Humber, Toronto, Ontario
Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Rideau Woodland Ramble, Merrikville, Ontario
Jardin botanique de la vallée d'Oshawa, Oshawa, Ontario
Plant Paradise Country Gardens, Caledon, Ontario
International Peace Garden, Boissevain, Manitoba
Reford Gardens , Grand-Métis, Quebec
Le jardin des provinces, Ottawa, Ontario
Jardin Kingsbrae, St Andrews, New Brunswick
The Arboretum, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario
Milner Gardens & Woodland, Vancouver Island University, Qualicum Beach, British Columbia
Jardin botanique de Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Jardin botanique de la Commission des parcs du Niagara, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus, Truro, Nova Scotia
Le jardin de Maplelawn, Ottawa, Ontario
Les Jardins des Jardiniers du Patrimoine de North Bay, North Bay, Ontario
1814 Treaty of Ghent Rose Garden , Ottawa, Ontario
Maison Saint-Gabriel, Museum & Historic Site, Montreal, Quebec
Jardin botanique Devonian, Edmonton, Alberta
Government House Edwardian Gardens, Regina, Saskatchewan
La Seigneurie de l'Ile d'Orleans, St-Francois, Quebec
International Peace Garden, Boissevain, Manitoba
The Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
Jardins édouardiens au Government House, Regina, Saskatchewan
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia
Jardins publics d'Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Le domaine Mackenzie-King, Old Chelsea, Quebec
Toronto Music Garden, Toronto, Ontario
Les Jardins Butchart, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
Victoria Butterfly Gardens, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
Jardin Jeanne D'Arc, Québec, Quebec
Halifax Public Gardens, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse , Niagara Falls, Ontario
Daniel A. Séguin Garden, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Maplelawn Garden, Ottawa, Ontario
Royal Roads University and Hatley Park, Victoria, British Columbia
Milner Gardens & Woodland, Vancouver Island University, Qualicum Beach, British Columbia
Ottawa Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario
Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens , Annapolis Royal , Nova Scotia
Elsie's Vegetable Garden, Grand-Metis, Quebec
Windsor Sculpture Park, Windsor, Ontario
Université Royal Roads et le parc Hatley, Victoria, British Columbia
Jardins historiques d'Annapolis Royal, Annapolis Royal , Nova Scotia
Patterson Garden Arboretum/ Department of Plant Sciences University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Plant Paradise Country Gardens, Caledon, Ontario
UBC Botanical Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia
Tangled Garden, Grand Pré, Nova Scotia
Victoria Butterfly Gardens, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
Jardin botanique VanDusen , Vancouver, British Columbia
Roger-Van den Hende Botanical Garden, Quebec, Quebec
Jardins Devonian, Parcs de la ville de Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Jardin botanique Whistling Gardens, Wilsonville, Ontario
Le jardin Chinois classique Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, Vancouver, British Columbia
Casa Loma Gardens , Toronto, Ontario
Royal Botanical Gardens , Burlington, Ontario
Larry Hodgson
Canada's Garden Route Spokesperson
Author of "A Garden Lover's Guide to Canada"
Bring the Kids!
Summer’s here and Canada’s public gardens are at their best. You know you want to visit them yourself – who wouldn’t want to stroll through a beautiful park filled with flowers – but maybe you feel you’re so tied up with your children or grandchildren you just can’t get away. Well, there’s an easy solution to that: bring them along!
