From the passive seaside vibration of Ambleside to the lively amusement at the Shipyard District , the North Shore has stack to offer for tourer and visitors likewise . If you ’re visit Vancouver and would love to take in the local scene and gardens , you have to try this one- or two - day tour to Vancouver ’s North Shore .
Vancouver has been my habitation for many years . It ’s an alluring spot to grow a garden . As a gardening community , Vancouver has so many different personality .
You ’ll find horticulture styles inspired by traditional Nipponese garden , rainforests full of ferns and moss , botanic gardens with something blossom year - round , and even seaside air pocket consummate with import palm trees .
Echinacea and other pollinator plants growing at Ambleside Butterfly Garden.
Across the Vancouver Harbour and Burrard Inlet , the Vancouver ’s North Shore is a democratic destination for hike and skiing and have some really sensational , classical BC landscapes .
While you may have heard about the many famous public gardens like VanDusen Gardens , the Bloedel Conservatory , Queen Elizabeth Park , Stanley Park , UBC Botanical Garden , Dr. Sun Yat - Sen Classical Chinese Garden , and the Nitobe Japanese Garden ; Vancouver ’s North Shore is a definite must - see for anyone with a green quarter round .
There is a distinct garden personality : upscale but not ostentatious , rooted in traditional style , eco - witting , and at one with the surrounding woodland . The North Shore is an area full of obscure gem , and I found surprise at every twist .
Recently , I was receive to tour the Vancouver ’s North Shore gardens and flora red-hot spots byGarden BC.I’ve lived in Vancouver for X , and yet there were places I ’ve never been to . When I tell you that you ’ll find some hidden gems here , they really are local spots that only the insiders lie with about .
Luckily for you , I ’m go to share all the dreamy unripened space I had the pleasance of visiting .
Here ’s what the itinerary will look like …
Vancouver ’s North Shore is comprised of North Vancouver and West Vancouver , where mountains meet oceanside . you may jaw the North Shore like a local , treat and feel it like you ’re part of the community . It ’s a year - round destination where you could enjoy the verdure and wilderness every sidereal day of the class .
Gardens BC , officially the British Columbia Garden Tourism Coalition Society , is a non - profit organization that showcases the beauty of our province and assist plant lovers find new garden . inflict their website to find more garden destination throughout the responsibility !
First, A Video Tour of the North Shore
Touring gardens is a great way of life to boost your mood and get a little flake of garden therapywithout physically garden yourself . It can be as round-eyed as walking through your neighborhood and looking at houses or pass away through alley to peek into backyards .
But it can also be going to public gardens and enjoying the space . It can be very therapeutic , and it can be really bonding if you do it with a love one .
I want everyone , no matter where in the world you are , to have the garden alongside me . Come tour of duty the beautiful garden of the North Shore with me by look on the video below .
Day One
I extremely , highly recommend this go to anybody coming to visit Vancouver . After you ’ve seen the Vancouver top spots , dedicate at least a day to exploring the North Shore . depend on what vibrate your fancy below , come either Day One or Day Two ’s itinerary , or well yet , do them both !
Stop 1: Jam Café
100 first St E , North Vancouver , BC V7L 1B1
I started off the first morning with a stumble to the madly popularJam Café . A Vancouver staple , the North Shore location is one of their New positioning .
The intellectual nourishment at Jam Café bring looooong tune , and I can see why . The interior is cool and fun , and the solid food is even more DECADENT.I had a chimichurri pork barrel paunch benny ( how Canadians call Eggs Benedict ! ) with red onion jam ( yum ) and incur to savour the blueberry bush griddlecake and blackstone benny .
Stop by here for a ensure unspoilt breakfast to quetch off your good morning .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : Dine at Jam Café for breakfast from Monday through Thursday . You ’ll have a better chance to skip the long weekend lines and start the day off absolutely .
Stop 2: Park and Tilford Gardens
333 Brooksbank Avenue , North Vancouver , BC , Canada , V7J 3S8
Vancouver ’s North Shore ’s prescribed botanic garden , Park and Tilford Gardens , consists of eight different themed garden . Originally , it was make in 1957 as a marketing cock for Park and Tilford Distilleries . It was a talent to the North Shore and covers three Acre .
When I say that there are hidden muffin all over Vancouver ’s North Shore , Park and Tilford Gardens is proof ! Essentially , you go through a slip mall parking good deal , and in between the JJ Bean and Starbucks burnt umber houses , you and end up in these beautiful , theme gardens full of plants , structures , and water feature of speech . You would never know , search at large hedge on master street that such a gem lies behind it .
Back when Kiddo was just 18 months old , we used to visit the Park and Tilford Gardens and sit in the light source of the three spinning salientian ’s fountain . We used to tour the garden every other week during the year since it wasa smashing place to take a baby , then toddler , who love plants and gardens as much as his female parent does .
The garden is barren to accede and can get really busy with the locals . It ’s just big enough to relish a java and a hushed stroll to see what ’s blooming . It hasgreat accessible pathwaysfor the great unwashed with disabilities and little , short lets that are still find out how to take the air .
As Kiddo grew older , we visited the Park and Tilford Gardens about once a twelvemonth . On one trip , we were pitiful to see that the three frog ’s fountain had been stolen . desolate that the frog were taken , it was a metre of erudition and discussion about emotions for Kiddo — it ’s crucial to respect our environment and thateven thing as small as a frog fountain can wreak meaning to those who enjoy its space .
It ’s been a few years since I confabulate , and I was eager to see it through a unlike lens , no longer the young female parent enjoy the blank space , smooth , and the delight of her child amongst the plant . This time around , I was looking through the genus Lens of a tour guide .
What I see were singular garden with their own personality thriving together as one botanical garden . It celebrates plants and their bionomics without using uneconomical practices to sustain them . The garden are lovingly run to and planted with many annual plants grown onsite in the nursery next to theherb garden .
With the current summertime weewee restrictions , there is no supplemental water , so the flora are leave to affirm themselves .
This meant thatthe urine characteristic were also flex off during my sojourn . While I appreciate the city ’s commitment to lay aside water , the gardens provide a home ground and safe harbour for many barbaric mintage . accept the piddle features on couldhelp the insects , birds , and mammal in the arena that were in all probability meet from the drought conditions as well .
Some of the plants were a bit dry and stress . About 10 % express sign of emphasis or had grown crunchy , while 90 % were still faring very well . That speaks quite highly for receiving no H2O for a month in the oestrus of the summer . When the rain came again , I went for a visit , andeverything quickly reverberate back to the green voluptuousness it had for the integral year .
The changes of colour of theJapanese maplesand ferns in the Native Garden and the Oriental Garden might be a personal favourite .
My#NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : You will find something unique no matter what time of year you come in to tour the North Shore ’s Park and Tilford Gardens . In the natural spring , there are plenty of bulbs . In the summer , you ’ll see the bloom and cheerful annuals and perennials . There ’s always the Native Garden and the Herb Garden to enjoy as well . And if you stop by in the winter , the gardens are decorated with lights for thefestive Gardenwalk .
Stop 3: The Ambleside Butterfly Garden
1460 Argyle Ave , West Vancouver , BC V7 T 1C2
Just last year , I visited theAmbleside Butterfly Gardenwhen attending theHarmony Arts Festival . I was with my friend from out of town and Kiddo , and I was absolutely enthralled . Both of them paused at the beauty of the garden . Still , they immediately suffer me as I draw in spite of appearance to meet all the plants and pollinators flying around .
While on my tour of the North Shore this summertime , I arrive and again got pronto lost . Even though I followed Google Maps ’ commission , I still could n’t bump it . or else , I happened upon the community garden at Ambleside like I had the previous class and was again take by it .
The Ambleside Butterfly Garden was started by a chemical group of Master Gardeners and unpaid worker alongside the District of West Vancouver . They’ve engraft a compounding of 70 % aboriginal plants and 30 % hybrids that are all easy to grow and waterwise . Something blooms every day of the class to provide ambrosia and home ground to local pollinator .
The community space is a joy of beautiful veggie and flowers grow together . richly up is a fundamental assembling ofhydrangeasand raised bed thattower over your headland rather than how we typically look down in our garden . Sweet pea , roses , and cosmos also tower over , and it ’s such an interesting perspective .
The nurseryman who care for this garden grow veggie not only for their practicality but also to mix them amongst the annual and repeated flowers . They know the closed book that to make a beautiful garden , you mustattract pollinatorsto ensure the veggie grow robust and fruitful .
A position divvy up by Stephanie Rose ( @garden_therapy )
But I got turn around when I went to see the Ambleside Butterfly Gardens . On Google Maps , they ’re list as the Ambleside Butterfly Garden , but it takes you to a parking lot on Bellevue Avenue near 17th St. The true fix is just east of the Harmony Arts Festival Space on Argyle Ave , on the east side of the ferryboat edifice gallery .
On Google Maps , they ’re listed as theArgyle Village Gardens , and the sign has been renamed to include all pollinators or to be considered a biotic community garden infinite . Perhaps the butterfly stroke garden project has changed , or it ’s just an evolution of the name .
My#NorthShoreLikeaLocal Tip : Put the address for Argyle Village Gardens in Google Maps to get to the right location . The reference is 1460 Argyle Ave W. This is where you will discover these beautiful pollinator gardens ! I ’ve commend to Google Maps that they adjust the pin to show the true location , so mayhap by the time you ’re learn this , it ’s been corrected .
The garden has avariety of pollinator - well-disposed flowersthat are in full flush , as well as a few vegetable plants and some community plots . The true showstopper of the garden was the two planted spaces on the outside of the garden that host a variety of pollinator industrial plant . And sure enough , they were buzzing with activeness and even had a fewpollinator bathsthat were being give care for .
Stop 4: The Boatshed at Ambleside
1200 Argyle Ave , West Vancouver , BC V7W 1C1
After spend the morning gaze at all those oculus - catching blossom and plant , you ’ll desire to steer toThe Boatshedfor a easy lunch or snack . The localisation is just a unretentive walk from Argyle Village Gardens along the seawall . Be sure to take your prison term to enjoy the seaside industrial plant and the view of Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge .
At The Boatshed , I had tacos and a peppiness beer for a weak luncheon between tours . The positioning , right on Ambleside Beach , ca n’t be beat . It makes you feel like you ’re in this minuscule seaside town when you ’re really just in the warmheartedness of West Vancouver !
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : you may well expend a full day atAmbleside Beach . you may walk along the seawall , enjoying both the beach and the flora that ring the area . There ’s also the Boatshed container garden , the parking lot pollinator heavens , and the seaside planting of brave , drought - large-minded Mary Jane and blooms .
Bonus Stop! GardenWorks North Vancouver
95 Philip Ave , North Vancouver , BC V7P 1B5
GardenWorkshas long been one of my favourite garden centres in the Lower Mainland , and I when I discover their new location was in North Vancouver , I just had to stop by . Each GardenWorks location has a unique and individual style , so you may have a different garden shopping experience at each one .
GardenWorks is known for their emptor who stock not only the best and beautiful - est plants , but they also showcase some serious endowment and abode selections . give your mate at home base and get some shopping therapy metre at the depot . It ’s also my Kiddo ’s favored office to purchase me gift !
The unexampled North Vancouver location did n’t disappoint . It flowed with the vibe of the North and West Vancouver garden styles , which are upscale and clean and run toward flora that tame in a peck environment .
The garden centre looks small from the front , but as you go , it expands to massive proportionality . It was created in an old bus terminal with high glass ceilings that give it an incredibly modern industrial vibe . It has the perfect melodic phrase distance , protected areas for plant to thrive , and a really well-fixed shopping experience .
I love the beautiful selection of perennial , but even more impressive was the tree and bush . Thehydrangeaselection had some great varieties of panicle hydrangea that would become the star of any garden .
I had a neat chat with Tyler and Alex , the entrepot handler and assistant handler , and ask for some suggestions of plants to use as the foundational planting ofmy front garden containers . I wanted to exchange out my existing works to create something that can have different designs throughout the time of year but also boom in a container in full sun .
Their suggestions were fabulous and not what I had previously considered . The knowledge is truly there , as is the availability of in high spirits - timber industrial plant . I highly recommend a stop at this garden midpoint .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal top : If you ’re a tourist and do n’t have a office to plant anything , I still recommend you stop at the indoor gift store . It has so many things you just would n’t find anywhere else . I fell in love with some birdcage candleholders and an adorable chou dish that has made it onto my wish leaning for future Mother ’s daylight .
Stop 5: Shipyards Night Market
19 Wallace Mews , North Vancouver , BC V7L 0B2
Every twelvemonth , I enjoy at least one evening at the ShipyardsNight Market . It run onFriday evening during the warmer monthsand is definitely worth a visit if you ’re here during this fourth dimension . It ’s fun , low - cay , and accessible , asboth dogs and nestling are welcome .
You ’ll find plenty of delicious food and even more lovely hoi polloi . shoot the breeze the shopping stalls and listen to the free hot euphony .
While there , I pop over for a local craft beer , some vintage shopping , and a little bit of dancing before my sunset dinner reservation .
My#NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : The Shipyards Night Market is every Friday from May to September . It has loose parking and admission and is one of the best alternative for a night mart in the Lower Mainland , especially with the live music and beer gardens !
Stop 7: Pier 7
25 Wallace Mews , North Vancouver , BC V7L 0B2
At this point , I was famish and happy to sit down for some wonderful views of business district while eat fresh seafood atPier 7 .
Our table ordered thefresh - shuck oysters and burratawith a Pistacia vera Basil the Great pesto and focaccia to start .
Then , we enjoyed thesurf and sward , which included striploin , butter - poached lobster claw , Panthera tigris prawns , mashed Solanum tuberosum , and seasonal veggies . We also had theseared holibut , which came with more potatoes , sauteed kale , and sundried tomatoes .
Of course , we also sipped on some bubbly while we enjoyed the view . The food for thought was so balanced , but the best part was the divine service . We even buzz off a visit from the chef !
My#NorthShoreLikeaLocal point : Pier 7 is just a short walkway from the Shipyards Night Market . I extremely recommend coming on Friday nighttime so you’re able to visit both . Make a mental reservation in onward motion to check you get a just point with a view .
Stop 8: The Pinnacle Hotel
138 Victory Ship Way , North Vancouver , BC V7L 0B1
After a twenty-four hours of visiting some of the most beautiful garden in townsfolk and eating THE best food for thought , my head was truly quick to hit the pillow . as luck would have it for me , I was staying at thePinnacle Hotelin The Shipyards , which houses Pier 7 .
The locating is really unrivaled , as you could enjoy all the delectation of the North Shore and are also very tight to taking theSeaBusinto business district Vancouver .
And did I note the view????you’re able to see all of Vancouver ’s coastline and it ’s just sensational . They also have a pool , hot tub , sauna , steam way , and gym for you to use and unwind with at the end of your foresightful day exploring .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal top : The intact Shipyards territory and the hotel are dog - friendly . I met muckle of furred visitors and gave them some chicken feed . I vowed to bestow Ozzie the next sentence I visit !
Day Two
If you ’ve got the time and want to explore more of the North Shore , there ’s plenty more to see . Here ’s what I suggest as a second - day itinerary for those who need to see more of the gardens that the Vancouver area has to volunteer .
Stop 8: Pinnacle Hotel, The Lobby Restaurant
The day starts off where yesterday terminate ! We ate in good order at the hotel atThe Lobby Restaurant + Loungeat the Pinnacle Hotel . This restaurant foreground West Coast foods , but it was hinted that I HAD to tell theLobster Benny . It did not let down ! This Eggs Benedict was prepared with garlic butter - sautéed lobster and hollandaise sauce , plus a side of white potato vine lyonnaise .
Talk about delicious !
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : If you have a elevator car , leave it parked for the dayspring and take the lift to The Lobby eating place . After breakfast , the stroll to Chiba Gardens will aid you digest all the delectable food .
Stop 9: Chiba Gardens
267 Esplanade W , North Vancouver , BC , CA , V7 M 1A6
As a Master Gardener live in Vancouver for decades , there are very few garden in the field I have n’t seen . guess my surprise when I saw that the itinerary had a garden I ’d never hear of ! The entrance is pucker away under a ocean of foliage which makes for amagical but secret garden .
Chiba Gardensis a traditional Nipponese garden located on the northwesterly corner of Waterfront Park in North Vancouver . It is a short pass from the Shipyards . The garden opened in 1986 to observe North Vancouver ’s sister city , Chiba .
Chiba donate two Japanese stone lanterns to North Vancouver , and local landscape architect , Toshimasa Ito , designed a garden to feature them .
Even if you do n’t roll in the hay the significance behind the distance , it feels quite special the moment you step in . visible light filter through the marvellous maples onto the zigzag pathways that change from wood to stone to baffle . The lushness of the ferns , mosses , and native plantings chase every colour of super C .
The circular pathway in the garden allow you to do a walk meditation where you may breathe deep while finding peace in your mind amidst the city .
I choose tovisit the Chiba Gardens after breakfast to do this walk meditation , resetting my intention to be of gratitude and pacification . It ’s a great way to be thankful and take on the nourishment of a lovely meal while cooling off a heated body on a hot daylight .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal backsheesh : I promote everyone locally or on a North Shore garden turn to stop by the Chiba Gardens so they can slowly walk through the outer space and meditate . Try not to focalise on any one element but take in the feeling of the intact space . Alternatively , slow down , sit , and focus on a tiny breaker point on one tiny leaf or one reflection of light that comes through the maples , and just breathe in the serene peace .
Once you exit the Chiba Gardens , you’ll be reborn and quick for the excitement of Vancouver ’s North Shorewhile feeling calm and full of gratitude .
Stop 10: The Edible Garden Project – Loutet Farm
1400 Rufus Ave , North Vancouver , BC , CA , V7L 4J2
Loutet Farmis a jolly darn coolheaded place . I ’ve talk a lot on Garden Therapy about how to rethink spaces andcreate more food security for our communities , and Loutet Farm has done just that .
Loutet Farm is the first urban farm located on public parkland in Canada . It ’s a joint effort from the North Shore Neighbourhood House , North Vancouver , and UBC .
Located within a residential area , the farm produce great deal of green groceries right on the farm and isfinancially sustainable . This intend all investment company generated go back into operating the farm and creating job for North Shore residents .
The farm hosts tour , workshop , and other case . It also hosts a twice - weekly market where people can buy topically grown and low-cost produce and plug in with other local seller .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : you could buy saucy produce grown at Loutet Farm on Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM and Midweek from 2 to 6 PM during the grow time of year from May - end to October . Check out the marketsif you ’re in the area !
Bonus Stop: Gerry’s Garden
1400 Rufus Ave , North Vancouver , BC V7L 2N2
Next threshold to Loutet Farm is Gerry ’s Garden and it was such a wonderful surprise , a true incentive . The garden was started by 96 - year - old occupier Gerry MacPherson . After fall behind his son to cancer in 2007 , he turn to horticulture as a form of therapy .
What was once a trounce - up piece of acres between Loutet Park and Brooksbank Elementary School , is now Gerry ’s Garden . He pass 10 age turning it into a beautiful space full of perennial for everyone in the community to inflict . It ’s worth stopping by for a paseo and to sit and hear to the birds in Gerry ’s Garden .
This is exactly what Vancouver ’s North Shore is all about — community and beautiful , natural space .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : model on the red-faced benches throughout the space and take in all that has been fondly plant in Gerry ’s Garden . In the quiet , some things become more hearable , like birdsong , buzz bee , and perhaps some medicine from the stria at the farm market .
Stop 11: Nook Restaurant, Shipyards
150 Victory Ship means # 160 , North Vancouver , BC V7L 0B2
In the Shipyards District , you ’ll find the most beautiful scale atNook . For lunch , we had a tasting menuof endearing treats , including :
We also revel some sip , including the Lampone ( raspberry , lemon , and soda ) and the Zenzero ( lemon , pep cordial , and soda ) .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : bring your syndicate ! kid , dogs , and everyone is welcome in the Shipyards District . Nook ’s patio is on the Shipyards Splash Park , so you could sip and snack while spending a day with kiddos . Oh , and order the meatballs . Did I mention the meatballs ?
Stop 12: Maplewood Flats / Wild Bird Trust of BC
2649 Dollarton Hwy , North Vancouver , BC V7H 1B1
I ’ve perish toMaplewood Flatsbefore for birding . It ’s a birder paradise and an astonishing spot to see other local wildlife . believably because of the native plantings !
Located on the land of the Tsleil - Waututh Nation ( TWN ) and Coast Salish Peoples , you ’ll finda quad devote to celebrating the diversity of the North Shore . Before settlers come in , the area consist of contiguous mudflats that stretched across the Burrard Inlet . These spaces were used by the TWN to hound and gather Pisces , mollusc , waterfowl , and more .
From salmonberry to hardhack to brand fern , many aboriginal species deal the realm of Maplewood Flats . take the air down Maplewood Flats will allow you to see it all if you ’re concerned in the local flora and fauna .
My # NorthShoreLikeaLocal tip : lend somebug sprayor endure long sleeves . The aboriginal species are definitely thrive , and so are the food sources for those aboriginal species , specially themosquitoes . Where there is life history , there is beauty and history .
Final Thoughts on Vancouver’s North Shore
Discovering the North Vancouver North Shore like a local was a really fun experience . I got to feel the restaurants and the vibrant waterfront , from the Shipyards to the peacefulness of Ambleside .
This is a great turn to discover the quieter side of Vancouver , all while experiencing the stunning gardens and history of the arena . This can easy be a one - day go , but it can also be extended into two for those who have the time for more geographic expedition .
Again , a huge thank you toVancouver ’s North ShoreandGardens BCfor inviting me on this duty tour and introducing a few unexampled favorite spots .
