“The gardens are open Monday – Sunday from 9:30 am to Dusk
No dogs except service dogs, please.
The Gardens are available for rentals such as weddings. Learn More.
The Anniversary Celebration was a fabulous success!
About the Gardens - The Jewel of the North Shore
These Gardens are unique as they are a peaceful oasis within a busy shopping mall, but also draw avid gardeners to learn about plants suitable for their North Shore gardens.
There is something of interest for everyone at any time of year.
It was designed with 8 themed gardens, each interconnected to the next, making this 2-acre space seem much larger.
The Garden was the dream of George Kuhn, the CEO of Park & Tilford Distilleries, to improve the industrial site and make an enjoyable place for the employees to eat their lunch.
He presented the Gardens to the community in 1969 to remain free to the public always.
Today the Merchants of the Mall contribute to the upkeep of the Gardens.
For more about the beginnings of the Garden look under History in the Menu.
Display Garden
The Display Garden features a bright and vibrant display of plants for each season: bulbs in the spring, annuals for summer, Christmas lights in winter.
Magnolia Garden & Colonnade
The Magnolia Garden features a collection of large magnolias mostly planted 50 years ago. Be sure to look UP when you visit to see the blooms in spring. There is also a Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood) and Ginko biloba, both once thought to be extinct.
The Colonnade bisects the Rhododendron Garden that puts on its best show in May.
What once was a bird house with parrots, cockatoos, mynas and other tropical birds now shows off a locally painted trompe l'oeil that gives the impression that you could walk through to the next garden.
White & Yellow Gardens
The Yellow Garden features plants with either yellow blooms or foliage.
The White Garden focuses on plants with white, grey or green leaves or flowers.
Oriental Garden
The Oriental Garden is planted with pines, bamboo and Acer palmatum (Japanese Maples) that came directly from Japan, and were planted by the Mayor of Chiba, our sister city there. It features an arched bridge over a pond with goldfish, a Japanese tea house and of course the Moon Gate.
Native Garden
The focal point of the Native Garden is the totem pole recently donated by the FOGS (the Friends of the Gardens). The pole was carved by Cody Mathias, a local carver, and depicts an eagle and a woman.
This shady spot is dense with plants native to the Pacific Northwest coastal forests. A wooden bridge spans a boggy area full of yellow skunk cabbage flowers in late spring.
Rose Garden
The Rose Garden is in its full glory in June and July and has many varieties of roses that grow well in our climate. The floribunda, hybrid tea, shurb and climbing roses are stunning and many are fragrant.
The Florentine Pergola is draped with an impressive wisteria blooming in the summer months.
The Garden is bordered on each side by a raised perennial border.
Herb Garden
The Herb Garden has recently been renovated by the FOGS. It features herbal plants with culinary and medicinal uses.
Visit the Catalogue in the Herb Garden section of this site for more information on each herb there. This page also has many presentations about using herbal plants.
Asian Garden Video
Fly-Through Video of the Asian Garden
Seven Trees Video
Adrienne Brown talks about her seven favourite trees at Park & Tilford Gardens, including the Dawn Redwood, Chinese Mahogany, California Bay, Southern Magnolia, Japanese Pines, Japanese Maples, and the Upright English Oaks.
Hours: 9:30 am - dusk
Wedding ceremonies must be booked in advance by calling the office at 604-984-8200
The Rose Room can be rented for meetings or small functions.
Where to find the Gardens:
If travelling by the Lions Gate Bridge, take the North Vancouver exit and travel east along Marine Drive which will later turn into Main Street.
If travelling over the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge (Second Narrows), take the Main Street exit #23A and travel west to the Park & Tilford Shopping Centre.