The Roger Van den Hende botanical gardens
May is the month when, every year since 1978, the Roger Van den Hende botanical gardens are open to the public. Created in 1966, its purpose was at first educative: It was to be and still is an experimental place for students of the Faulty of food and Agricultural Sciences of the University Laval. This is why it's located on the outskirts of the University campus.
Once you enter these 15 acres, you forget that you are in the middle of one of the busiest sections of Quebec City, an area where you find many business offices, shopping smalls, hotels and intense automobile traffic. The garden is so quiet, and the Zen atmosphere created by this lovely water garden at the entrance sets de mood for the rest of the visit. You can stroll through collections of over four thousands species of indigenous plant species and also of plants imported from various regions of the world. . One of my wife's favourite spots is the rose garden at the back, through the arboretum.
Guided tours and activities for children are offered as well as lectures from experts. The gardens are open through the summer until the month of October. It's located at:
2480, Hochelaga Boulevard
Quebec (Ste-foy), Quebec
More info is available by phone at (418) 656-3410