Devonian Botanic Garden

Never ever go there. We just decided to have a fun morning Saturday in a beautiful botanic garden. That’s why we headed to Devonian. First of all, it’s too expensive for what you will get with your visit. The garden is more like a desolate place that is not maintained and taken care of. Most of the plants and herb were almost drooping. There were nothing special that wows you. The Japanese garden was the worst where there was not even a single component noticeable from a traditional Japanese garden. We felt like totally ripped off after spending almost 50 bucks for 3 persons. Never ever go there at least in July! The butterfly place was very messy and with less than 10 butterflies I think.
Bottom line: I know what a botanic garden should look like. For those who don’t, I can suggest the San Fransisco Botanic Garden. Go there and enjoy!

Very beautiful and big enough that you could have a different experience every time you go. I quite like the Japanese garden and my kids love the maze and the senses garden. It’s big enough that you could spend the whole day here and the kids won’t get bored.

It is unfortunate that you can’t give a place ⁰⁄₅ stars. I genuinely want to warn folks: DO NOT BOOK AN EVENT HERE. Especially if you have children as guests or are trying to plan something romantic. Otherwise, the gardens are still pretty even though they aren’t as full and luscious as I was expecting.
We had a terrible experience with the General Manager (Ruby S.) the night my fiancé proposed and invited my family to join us. My fiancé booked the Ozawa Pavillion and asked my family to surprise me after he proposed. He brought in catering and the whole shebang. It was still a beautiful night despite the run in. And later he revealed some frustration with booking the place that has clearly crossed this venue off our future events list.
Leading up to the day you could tell they did not have their ducks in a row! He booked 1.5 months in advance and didn’t actually hear from anyone until he followed up again 2 days before the event.
2 weeks prior he phoned and spoke to their staff and asked if there is anything he needed to do to confirm the rental and make sure everything is in order. They said there was nothing else he had to do to confirm the rental. To his surprise, when he called again 2 days before to confirm everything was in order, they claimed they were trying to email him the rental contract and could not get a hold of him. Even though he had given them a few numbers to contact him by phone if it was urgent. Of course, his name was spelt wrong in the email address they were sending this information to. Funny how his email address is his name on the contract and on the contract it is spelt correctly.
When someone has specified that this event is an engagement wouldn’t you want to impress the pants off of them so they book their wedding there?! You’d think so but no. I am not expecting to be treated like royalty but I did not appreciate the smug attitude we received from the GM about our guests in the garden.
Our party had 5 kids and of course they want to run around in the inviting green grass and walk on the rocks. Don’t set up rocks in a path or chair like fashion if people are not allowed to walk on them or take pictures with them! The only explicit rules we were told was that guests cannot be in the water nor can they walk through the bushed/​shrubbed areas. The GM had the decency to yell at the kids in our party instead of speaking to an adult that was no more than 10 feet away from them… twice! The kids weren’t even breaking any rules. If they were not allowed on the grass then that prohibited behaviour should also be communicated to other adults laying on the grass, should it not?
The most ironic part is that if you google image search «Devonian Gardens Edmonton» there are quite a few photos of brides and others «breaking» the rules for photos. If it’s a rule keep it consistent and put signs up on the grass! if it’s a guideline don’t yell at other people’s children and lie to them saying it is strictly prohibited… they will notice others sitting on the grass and of course question your authority in every question asked!

This place has a very special place in my heart. On July 25^th, 2010 my boyfriend took me on our very first real date, and it was at the Devonian Gardens. I love this place, it’s so pretty and lovely and warm. This year I went back with another couple and we had delicious sandwiches while enjoying the sunshine.
Maybe it’s the garden, maybe it’s the free date night they offer on Thursday’s, or maybe it’s just love.
5 stars, hands down.

The Devonian Gardens are a fantastic experience. I go for the Japanese Garden therein every visit. The Japanese section is at once serene and beautifully laid out, and I highly recommend the Japanese Heritage events and tea ceremonies here for those interested in Japanese culture. The Devonian Gardens feature a number of university ties, and run all manner of events and courses all summer long.
The gardens cover a sizable area, and the butterfly and botanic houses are quite worthwhile visits, however, they are substantially smaller than the Muttart Observatory.
On the downside, if you’re looking for food, I would advise that outside of events, you bring your own picnic. I found the food here very basic, certainly understandable given it’s isolated location, but not desirable. I’d also love to see Sakura trees (Cherry Blossoms) here, but I guess the harsh climate does not permit them grow.

this is a great place to visit in the spring or summer. considering the harsh winters here it is astonishing what variety of plants you find. the butterfly house is amazing too! they also have a cactus house with is worth visiting if you love succulents. there are a lot places where you can just sit and relax and enjoy the sights and smell the flowers. great for bird lovers as well!