Space for life is hosting the “Garden of Oddness” Exhibit until Sunday, April 24th, 2022 at the Jardin Botanique de Montréal. It’s a great activity for families or individuals that want an indoor activity option, given the current snowy weather conditions in the city.
Inside the Jardin Botanique de Montréal
It was my first time visiting the indoor greenhouse of the Jardin Botanique de Montréal where the exhibit is situated in the middle of the loop. On your way to the exhibit, you will explore different climate ecosystems and the plant populations of each environment.
For those of you that have never been to the Jardin Botanique de Montréal, know that it’s recognized as one of the world’s greatest botanical gardens and that you can participate in its colourful program of events, exhibitions, and activities all year long.
They also have a collection of about 10,000 plant species and 20,000 taxa, 10 exhibition greenhouses, 3 cultural gardens, and more than 15 thematic gardens spread out over 75 hectares, in short, it’s the perfect place to enjoy fresh air and natural beauty.
Garden of Oddness, a fun and interactive experience
The exhibit is designed as a greenhouse laboratory where you are a scientist that must complete several experiments to uncover facts about different exotic plants. At the entrance of the exhibit, you will be greeted by a fellow botanist and given an access card to tap into different interactive stations of the exhibit to learn interesting fun facts about these odd plants.
There are three groups of plants to discover throughout two floors of the exhibit including the carnivores, the flamboyants, and the succulents. This investigator will not reveal too many details but be sure to keep an eye out for the caterpillar-like Easter Lily Cactus, the Shark Plant from South Africa, and the Goldfish plant. My favourite station was the carnivore plant station. I learned in extreme cases of dry weather these plants consume insects to survive such as the Nepenthes Tropical pitcher plant.
There are no separate tickets sold for the exhibit; you pay for regular admission tickets that include access to this wonderful exhibit. Prices vary depending on if you are a local Quebec resident. Family passes ( 2 adults + 2 children) are also available for purchase. Cash and different forms of Interac, are accepted forms of payment.
The Jardin Botanique de Montréal is accessible via public transport or by car (Parking is 12.75$ for the whole day). I encourage you to check out the gift shop as well to take back some cool souvenirs!