The Exhibition Greenhouses

Greenhouse

Onglets

Description

The greenhouses at the Jardin botanique de Montréal host permanent and thematic exhibitions that showcase the garden’s living collections. These include collections of orchids, ferns, begonias, succulent plants and tropical food plants.

All year round, the greenhouses become a haven of beauty. In winter, visitors can delight in the lushness of tropical vegetation. The Garden of Weedlessness features penjings— a unique collection of potted landscapes, created by the skilled hands of horticulturists.

A wide variety of plants to discover

Three exhibition greenhouses at the Jardin botanique were opened to the public in 1956. Over time, additional greenhouses have been inaugurated.

Today, ten exhibition greenhouses can be seen. Visitors access these greenhouses through the garden’s Reception Centre.

The complete collection of the greenhouses (exhibition and service) contains approximately 5,000 taxa. Nearly a third are presented to the public in the exhibition greenhouses.

List of the Jardin botanique’s greenhouses

Area

Approximately 4,000 square meters

Taxa

Approximately 1,600 different species, varieties and cultivars

Map

Shade garden

Flowery Brook

Frédéric Back Tree Pavilion

Aquatic Garden

Reception Gardens

Peace Garden

The lilac collection

Chinese Garden

Youth Gardens

Alpine Garden

Japanese Garden

Leslie Hancock Garden

Shrub Garden

Toxic plants
Medicinal plants
Monastery Garden
Québec Corner

Garden of Innovations

Food Garden

Perennial Garden

Arboretum

Rose Garden

First Nations Garden

History

A haven for plants

The initial construction work at the Garden in 1932 focused on essential facilities, including an administrative pavilion, a boiler room, and a production greenhouse.

Construction of the greenhouse complex began in 1939. However, Premier Adélard Godbout, newly elected to lead Quebec, did not support the project, referring to it as “a few ferns in a Garden [...] costing 11 million...”. In 1940, his Minister of Roads and Public Works ordered construction of the outdoor gardens to be halted, and the steel structures of the exhibition greenhouses to be demolished.

The evolution of the Jardin botanique’s greenhouses

Fortunately, the construction of the first exhibition greenhouses resumed, and their inauguration in 1956 coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Jardin botanique. At the time, an asphalt road separated the main building from the greenhouses.

It was only after a major renovation of the entire building in 1994 that the Reception Centre was built, connecting the administrative building to the ten exhibition greenhouses.

Did you know?

A white summer dress to keep the temperature down

In the spring, a special lime-based paint is applied to the greenhouse windows. This helps reflect part of the sun’s rays, lowering the temperature inside. In the fall, this layer is removed using a mild, environmentally friendly acid.

Lighting, courtesy of nature

Lighting in the exhibition greenhouses is natural year-round. Only a few lights are switched on at the end of the day, allowing visitors to enjoy the plants in a different light.

Irrigation, a simulated rainfall

Irrigation can be manual or automatic. In addition, the greenhouses that require higher and constant humidity levels are equipped with a misting system.

Interestingly, horticulturists take the orientation of the greenhouse into account when watering. Soils on the south side dry out faster than those on the north side.

Pest control

The Jardin botanique promotes early detection of pest and the improvement of cultivation practices. Natural predators are sometimes introduced into the greenhouses to keep pest populations low.

This integrated pest management strategy considerably reduces the use of pesticides.

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The Exhibition Greenhouses

The Exhibition Greenhouses

Onglets

A wide variety of plants to discover

List of the Jardin botanique’s greenhouses

Area

Taxa

History

A haven for plants

The evolution of the Jardin botanique’s greenhouses

Did you know?

A white summer dress to keep the temperature down

Lighting, courtesy of nature

Irrigation, a simulated rainfall

Pest control