Reception Gardens

Outdoor garden

Onglets

Description

In the words of Henry Teuscher, the designer of the Jardin botanique de Montréal, the Reception Gardens “are an admirable showcase for attracting visitors. It would be advantageous to present [...] assemblages of pleasing colours of some of the most beautiful and recommendable species.” That is still the role of these gardens today!

As soon as they arrive, visitors are treated to a colourful show. Vast symmetrical beds of annuals, embellished with fountains and waterfalls, accompany them from the main entrance at the corner of Sherbrooke Street and Pie-IX Boulevard to the Jardin botanique’s main building.

In the spring, beds of tulips and other bulbous plants take centre stage, followed by the plantings of annuals, whose rich displays add life and colour to the Reception Gardens all summer long.

In the background, impressive conifers dating from the late 1930s dominate the grounds. They stand guard, protecting some of the trees and shrubs that aren’t very hardy in Montréal—like magnolia, tulip tree, plane tree and metasequoia—from the wind.

Created

1936

Taxa

300 to 500

For more information

Hardy bulbs

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

The Jardin botanique’s signature image

The Reception Gardens were among the first gardens to open to the public in 1937.

Set against the backdrop of the magnificent Art Deco administration building and featuring a central walkway lined with flower beds, fountains and waterfalls, the Gardens quickly became the Jardin botanique de Montréal’s signature image around the world.

The Reception Gardens underwent major restoration work in 2014 and 2015. The water basins, fountain, flowerbeds and low walls were carefully refurbished in keeping with the plans drawn long ago by Henry Teuscher to preserve the site’s rich heritage.

For more information

80 Years of History & Archives at the Jardin botanique

Did you know?

Every spring, thousands of tulips grace the Reception Gardens. Planted on the esplanade, they have a spectacular and highly colourful effect.

The Art Deco style that reached its peak in the 1930s was strongly influenced by the technological developments of the time and symbolized modernity. The style is beautifully reflected in the architecture, geometric patterns and decorative elements of the waterfall, pool and administration building.

At the large octagonal fountain in the Reception Gardens, the main walkway splits into two. The two paths then reconnect with the road that runs through the entire Jardin botanique. The beds of annuals on either side of the central walkway are perfectly identical, creating a mirror effect.

A tribute to Brother Marie-Victorin

A statue of Brother Marie-Victorin created by Sylvia Daoust originally stood in the Reception Gardens. It is now located near the entrance to the greenhouses in the administrative building. Sharp-eyed visitors will notice that Brother Marie-Victorin holds in his left hand a pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant native to the peat bogs of Québec.

Best time to visit

May to October

Spring bulbs starting in May (at their peak in mid-May). Mid-June to October for annuals (at their peak in mid-July).

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Reception Gardens

Reception Gardens

Onglets

Created

Taxa

For more information

History

The Jardin botanique’s signature image

For more information

Did you know?

A tribute to Brother Marie-Victorin

Best time to visit