Leslie-Hancock Garden

Tucked behind a wall of conifers protecting it from chilling winds, a secret garden projects a very southern feeling. It was named after Leslie Hancock, an avid collector of rhododendrons, who introduced many new cultivars and helped create the Montréal Botanical Garden's collection of heathers.

As these plants are not really suited to our cold climate, they are sheltered by this wall of trees. The snow piles up and protects them from frost. And they repay their gardeners in spades in mid-May every year, when the foamflowers spread a white carpet to complement the bright accents of Japanese azaleas. Slightly later, in early June, the rhododendrons burst into bloom, a perennial concert joined by heather and wintergreen. In fact, there are no annuals at all in this garden, with the exception of a few pansies planted in the spring to brighten up the flower beds.

This garden sits at the very heart of the Arboretum, north of the ponds.

In it, you'll discover Ericaceae (Heath family).