A Little Piece of Heaven: Van Dusen Botanical Gardens
The Van Dusen Gardens are located in a residential area of Vancouver at 37th and Oak Avenue. Originally owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the land was originally a group of stumps in 1910. The Shaugnessy Golf Club leased the land until 1960 when it moved its location. In 1966 the Van Dusen Botanical association was formed. The Vancouver Parks Board wanted to save the site and keep it as green space. Together with the government and the city the land was purchased with the assistance of Whitford Julian Van Dusen, a lumberjack and philanthropist.
- Adult Education
- Bloom Calendar
- Capital Project
- Children & Families
- Conservation
- Events Calendar
- Filming & Photography
- Garden Shop
- Hours & Admission
- Directions
- Virtual Tour & Site Map
- Limited Mobility Access
- Employment
- Giving and Donations
- Heirloom Vegetables
- Library
- Master Gardeners
- Membership
- Newsletter
- Plant Collection
- Rentals
- Restaurant
- Sculptures
- Seed Sales
- Tours
- Tree Collection
- Volunteers
- Weddings
Van Dusen Botanical Gardens History
Officially opened in 1975, the gardens are named after Whitford Julian Van Dusen. It is run by the Vancouver Parks Board and a large ever growing number of dedicated volunteers. It is located on part of the old Shaugnessy Golf Course. The gardens were created as a commitment by the city to provide more outdoor green space.
During the 1970’s the land was landscaped by W.C. Livingstone and designed by Roy Forster. The garden was planted under the direction of Roy Forster from 1977- 1996.
Van Dusen Botanical Garden Areas, Flowers, Tours and Attractions
The floral hall and Garden Pavilion were designed by Underwood, McKinley Wilson and Smith. The forest centre was designed by Thompson Berwick and Pratt.
The garden covers 55 glorious acres of over 255,000 plants from all over the world. There is a book and seed library, a restaurant as well as an Asian plant collection and First Nations art. All plants are labeled for easy viewing and identification. The Master Gardeners Association of BC is in partnership with the gardens with much of the training and volunteer work being done at Van Dusen gardens. Van Dusen is also committed to educating the public and offers a wide range of programs and tours. Topics covered include: conservation, biodiversity, native plants, a tree program, sculpture, and heirloom vegetables. Seedy Saturday is a very popular local event where seeds are sold and master gardeners are on hand to answer any questions.
The Gardens are also popular for weddings, outdoor events and commercial photography shoots. Book your event early to avoid disappointment for the gardens are at their busiest when they are mist beautiful- spring and summer.
The gardens are also fully accessible for wheelchairs and easily to get to via public transit.