John Davidson, or Botany John, was appointed British Columbia's first provincial botanist in 1911. He was given two assignments: complete a botanical survey of the province's flora and establish a botanical garden and herbarium.[2] Davidson first established an arboretum, nursery, and botanical garden on the hospital lands of Essondale in Coquitlam with the assistance of the patients.
The government then set aside two acres of land (0.8 ha) at the Provincial Colony Farm in Essondale (later called Riverview) near New Westminster for the establishment of the first botanical garden. After the closure of the Office of the Provincial Botanist in 1916, the botanical garden relocated to the UBC campus in West Point Grey. This involved the transport of thousands of perennials and shrubs across forty kilometres of rough roads to the new location.
At UBC, the garden's original site was at the "Old Arboretum". All that remains of it today are the trees planted in 1916 by John Davidson. The old arboretum is now home to many buildings including the First Nations House of Learning.
In 1951, the entire UBC campus was designated as a botanical garden. The head of the Botany Department, Dr. T.M.C. (Tommy) Taylor, was appointed the Garden Director.
After several years of changing scope and mandate, eventually in 1966 land was set aside near Thunderbird Stadium on the south end of the University campus for a stand-alone botanical garden. Dr. Roy Taylor was hired as the first director of UBC Botanical Garden at its current site.
Features
The garden measures approximately 44 hectares (440,000 m2 / 110 acres) and includes a curated collection of 120,000 accessions representing over 6000 taxa with a significant collection of Magnolia, Acer (plant), Sorbus (mountain ash, Styracaceae (storax family), Rhododendron and climbing plants.[3] Visitors to the garden can expect to spend a minimum of one hour exploring the various areas of the garden.
David C. Lam Asian Garden, a coastal native second-growth forest under-planted with Asian plants.
E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden, contains mountainous plants from around the world organized into geographic areas.
BC Rainforest Garden, showcasing elements of the coastal rainforest of southwestern BC and the southern interior wet-belt.
Carolinian Forest Garden, represents an eastern North American deciduous hardwood forest.
Food Garden, contains edible crops worked in a sustainable manner, using organic techniques.
Harold and Frances Holt Physic Garden, represents the original botanical gardens built to educate physicians and apothecaries.
Garry Oak Meadow and Woodland Garden, a threatened ecosystem showcasing biodiversity and First Nations influence.
Greenheart Tree Walk, a 310-metre-long tree top canopy walkway that hangs from Douglas firs, cedars and grand firs, many of which are over 100 years old.
There is also a series of small gardens of special interest and naturalized areas that dot the grounds of UBC Botanical Garden, including: the Pacific Slope Garden, Arbour Garden, Winter Garden, Perennial Borders Garden, Grow Green Demonstration Area, Contemporary Garden, Cattail Marsh, Walk in the Woods Trail.
UBC Botanical Garden also administers the Nitobe Memorial Garden, a traditional Japanese garden located on the north end of campus.
Research
In 2002, the UBC Centre for Plant Research became the research arm of the UBC Botanical Garden. The Centre for Plant Research examines topics such as plant adaptation, genomics and phytochemistry. The Botanical Garden and the Centre for Plant Research are both encompassed by UBC's Faculty of Science.
Education
Since 2012, UBC Botanical Garden has offered an 8-month provincially accredited Horticulture Training Program (HTP). The full-time program, which runs from August-April, introduces students to, among other areas, principles and techniques of landscape construction and design, garden ecology, plant biology and health, the role of soil in natural and constructed landscapes, ornamental and food crop management, and hands-on landscape and garden management.[4]
Awards
2002: Canadian Society of Landscape Architects National and Regional Honour Award, for the UBC Botanical Garden & Centre for Horticulture Master Plan.[5]
2015: Experience of the Year Award, for the Greenheart Canopy Walkway[6]
2020: Marsh Award for Education in Botanic Gardens[7]
