The Botanical Garden |
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The Montreal Botanical Garden first greets you with the Reception Center. Within you can find a gift shop, an information center and is also the main entrance for the Exhibition Greenhouses. After, I would recommend heading outside for the Exhibition Gardens. Then after a bite at the Garden Snack bar head for the many other gardens by hopping on the free Mini Train that will take you to the other points, you may be to tired to walk to by now. The Chinese and Japanese gardens are situated close together, so when you get to one you can easily walk through the First Nation park to get to the other. Also close to these three garden are an assortment of others which include the Rose Garden, always a favorite, the Alpine Garden, among many others.
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The park is mostly an Arboretum. At the far corner of the Arboretum you’ll find the Tree House, which holds many fascinating information in the subject matter. And I almost forgot, don’t miss the Insectarium. For further information check their web site at http:www2.ville.mont-real.qc.ca/jardin On their site they do have a virtual panoramic option which you can visit the park from your computer.
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The Exhibition Greenhouses are divided in different themes which includes Tropical Rain Forests, Ferns and Penjiings among many others. When you enter the Greenhouses, you enter a new world. The air is very humid and the plants surround you immediately. It is divided in two wings, I always start my discovery in the east wing, where I can find most of the green plants. The large green plants are well identified with numerous signs close by. They've also integrated many fountains and at the end of the Ferns Room is a prop of a grotto with a small fall. A perfect place for pictures. In the west wing you'll find more arid weathered plants. A room takes you to the South where a Hacienda and Cactus greets you. Another room depicts Noah's arch, always a hit for young and old with its large elephant and other fake animals. The last room of that wing is the Main Exhibition Greenhouse where one can sit down an assortment of Bonsai.
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The Exhibition Gardens are situated just after the Garden Snack bar, and they stretch almost the length of the whole park. Most of the traffic noise and city atmosphere are cut off by the large amount of full grown trees between the Gardens and Boulevard Pie-IX. The numerous and pleasant scents attack you the moment you enter the Shrub Garden which is the first part of the Gardens. Again here most of the plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables are identified. The whole area is bordered with white, Greek like columns and arches. Also assorted statues and benches are scattered here and there. The Gardens include a section of Medicinal Plants, Poisonous Plants and Perennials among many others.
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I'm often in the Montreal area, and every time I must visit the Botanical Garden. It's a way for me to escape the traffic jams and the long queues. It's getting back to the essentials in a calm surrounding, while being in the middle of a metropolis.
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Published on Friday October 11th, 2002 by spaceout
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