VanDusen Botanical Garden Official Photostream's photostream  

A living museum of plants, VanDusen Botanical Gardenis a spectacular 22-hectare (55-acre) garden which is considered one of the top ten botanic gardens in North America. Botanic gardens such as VanDusen play an important role in preserving the planet’s bio-diversity by protecting and propagating many rare and endangered species. Vancouver’s location in a temperate rain forest offers a unique mild climate that allows for the cultivation of more than 255,000 plants representing more than 7,300 taxa (plant families) from around the world. Our plant collections represent ecosystems that range from tropical South Africa, to the Himalayas, as well as plants native to our own Pacific Northwest. The Garden’s design features displays of plants in picturesque landscape settings. Art and science unite in our collections as specific garden areas are planted to illustrate botanical relationships, such as the Rhododendron Walk, or geographical origins, as in the Sino-Himalayan Garden. These areas are set amidst rolling lawns, tranquil lakes and dramatic rockwork – many offering vistas of the magnificent north shore mountains beyond.