Beautiful Laburnum (Golden Chain) blossoms in the mid of May at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC Canada.

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VanDusen Botanical Garden

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This highly popular green-thumbed oasis is a 22-hectare, 255,000-plant idyll that offers a strollable web of pathways weaving through specialized garden areas: the Rhododendron Walk blazes with color in spring, while the Korean Pavilion is a focal point for a fascinating Asian collection. Save time to get lost in the hedge maze and look out for the herons, owls and turtles that call the park and its ponds home. Informative guided tours are also offered here daily from April to October.

There's an excellent onsite gift shop plus a popular cafe. If you're here from the start of December onwards, you'll also find one of the city's top Christmastime lures, complete with thousands of twinkling fairy lights and shimmering installations strung on and around the wintering plants. Visiting with nature-loving kids? VanDusen offers a wide range of short summer camps for children.

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