Here’s a virtual tour of The Leaf, the new Diversity Garden that is currently under construction at Assiniboine Park.
The Leaf will replace the Assinboine Park Conservatory which has already been taken down. It will be a 6,000+ square metre facility that will feature four distinct zones that transport visitors through entirely different climates and environments. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the biomes at their leisure by following a series of interconnected paths, leading them through a number of hands-on interactive experiences.
- TROPICAL BIOME
Visitors will be immersed in the warmth and vibrancy of the Tropical Biome, where exotic plants and a balmy environment will create an oasis, particularly during the winter months. This rainforest-like paradise will be brimming with tropical plants, bold textures and lush green colours. The largest of The Leaf’s planted spaces; it will be home to leafy plant material from tropical regions of the world with some specimens reaching over six stories high over time. - MEDITERRANEAN BIOME
Colour will abound in the Mediterranean Biome as regions known for their superb fruits, fine wines and abundant crops are celebrated. Visitors will be surrounded by plant life from climatic zones characterized by moist, cool winters and hot, dry summers including Greece and Italy, as well as South Africa, South West Australia, Central Chile and California. The result will be a memorable mosaic of colour, texture and fragrance that reaches its peak during the winter months. - BABS ASPER DISPLAY HOUSE
The ever-changing Babs Asper Display House will celebrate the art of horticulture, highlighted by rotating floral exhibits with global themes. Here, the focus is simple; to showcase the breathtaking beauty that only nature can achieve, through flowers and colours offered through seasonal displays. - BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Travel above the earth in an elevator to the magical Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden, where visitors of all ages will experience awe and wonder as they interact with some of the most beautiful butterfly species in the world. A year-round tropical paradise, the Butterfly Garden will appear to be soaring above the sea of plant life flourishing from below.
THE LEAF is scheduled to open in late 2020.
About the Diversity Gardens:
Canada’s Diversity Gardens will tell the cultural story of the relationships that exist between people and plant life. There will be four gardens in total: The Leaf, The Indigenous Peoples’ Garden, The Cultural Mosaic Gardens, and The Grove. Visitors will discover the role plants have in shaping the life and identity of their community and their country – past, present and future.
