The Royal Botanical Gardens spans the Hamilton-Burlington border at the head of Lake Ontario, covering five separate properties and over 1,100 hectares — including 27 km of nature trails through the Cootes Paradise wetland, an internationally significant migratory bird sanctuary. The cultivated gardens are spread across five sites and include the world's largest collection of lilacs, a major iris collection, a Japanese garden, and the most diverse rock garden in North America.
Best in May for lilacs and tulips, June for irises, August for the rose garden. The on-site Mediterranean greenhouse stays open year-round. There is a good cafe at the headquarters in Burlington and a smaller one at the Rock Garden site closer to Hamilton. Entry is one ticket good for all sites for the day.