Among the many interesting sights of the Canadian city of Montreal, the Botanical Gardens, one of the best botanical gardens in the world, undoubtedly deserves special attention. It is located near the Olympic Stadium in the Maisonneuve Park.
The initiator of the creation of the botanical garden in Montreal was a talented Canadian botanist Joseph Louis Conrad Marie-Victoren, who took several years to persuade the city authorities to this project. The garden was founded in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression by Montreal Mayor Oud Camillen. The botanical garden was laid out by the famous landscape architect Henry Tauscher, while the art deco administrative building was designed by Lucien Kerouac. In 1936 the Jardin d’Acclimatation was opened to the public.
Today, the Jardin Botanique de Montréal offers 75 hectares of themed gardens and greenhouses with a variety of plants from all over the world (over 22,000 species and varieties). There is also a research center.
The real gem of the Botanical Garden is the Chinese Garden, one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China. It was laid out in 1990-1991 by the Shanghai Institute of Landscape Design and Architecture and is a typical Chinese garden of the Ming dynasty. In the pavilion located in the garden you can admire such Chinese art forms as bonsai and pengjing.
The Japanese Garden, created in 1988 by Ken Nakajim, is also of special interest. In addition to seeing the most interesting plants, the Japanese garden offers its guests the famous tea ceremony (in summer), as well as the traditional arts such as Iaido and ikebana.
In the garden of the First Nations grow endemic species of the province of Quebec and other North American regions – maple, birch, pine trees, various medicinal plants, as well as plants used as food by indigenous peoples. The special flavor of this garden gives the Indian totem poles and various exhibits, perfectly illustrating the traditional arts and construction methods of the first peoples. Equally interesting are the Alpine Garden, Rose Garden, English Garden, Rhododendron and Azalea Garden, Poison Garden, Arboretum, Flower Stream and much more. The Montreal Botanical Garden is also home to local fauna such as squirrels, ducks, turtles and herons.
At the entrance to the Rose Garden, you’ll see a statue of a huge bronze lion by René Dardel. This lion was a 1992 gift from Lyon, France, to the city to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Montreal.