Rock Garden

Built in 1930-31 on the site of an abandoned gravel pit, the 2.43-hectare (6-acre) Rock Garden was RBG’s first major display garden. Before its transformation, the surrounding area was littered with billboards and old shacks. As part of a make-work beautification project during the Depression, tons of weathered limestone rocks were brought in from nearby quarries to create the garden’s structure and its charming, irregular network of staircases, linked ponds, bridges, and waterfalls. Decades later, the rocks look as though they’ve been in place forever.

This garden amphitheatre is a magical place, exuding an atmosphere of both tranquility and mystery.

Click on the map above to learn more about each area.

Click here for directions

Flowering Cherry Collection

Peak Interest: April/May

At RBG, our flowering cherries are part of our early spring celebrations. Globally, flowering cherry trees have a long history. The 1300-year-old Japanese phenology project of tracking cherry blossoms each year is an important tool in studying climate change. Our cherries are also an important part of RBG’s phenological tracking.

In 2010, we added 34 trees to this collection donated to RBG as part of the Sakura Project. These trees are planted at both the Arboretum and Rock Garden sites. The exact flowering time of the cherries is quite variable and their flowers last only a few days, so catching them at their peak of bloom is a wonderful experience.

Azalea Display

Peak interest: June

Azaleas are found across much of the northern hemisphere. Unlike most other members of the genus Rhododendron, they are usually deciduous, though evergreen species do exist. At the Rock Garden, azaleas provide a colourful display that bridges the time between spring bulbs and summer annuals.

Blue Sky Nurseries of Beamsville generously donated our azalea display.

Seasonal Plantings and Permanent Shrub & Evergreen Display

Peak Interest: mid-April to early October

Permanent Shrub & Evergreen Display

As RBG’s oldest garden, the Rock garden houses many original plantings from 1930. The hillside is lush with groundcover, flowering shrubs, evergreens, small tress and tiny perennials tucked into nook and crannies. Look for bald cypress, cedar of Lebanon, Japanese cryptomeria (RBG’s first accessioned plant), and other plants not normally hardy in this region. They flourish here due to the unusually temperate microclimate created by the Rock Garden’s sheltering bowl.

Spring Bulb Display

Each spring, the sheltered bowl of the Rock Garden bursts into a spectacular display of colour. The bulbs are brought in from growers in Holland and planted in September of the previous year. Tulips, daffodils, and grape hyacinths feature prominently in this annual celebration of spring. After blooming they are lifted and sold at RBG’s auxiliary bulb sale in June.

Summer Annuals Display

Following the spring bulb display, annual plantings take the stage. This display brings together annuals from around the world in multi-coloured mass plantings. Wander pathways past waterfalls and rock pools, and enjoy old favourites and new cultivars.