The Summerland Ornamental Gardens are open to visitors year around. Their open hours can be found here.
Admission is free, but the Friends of the Garden, a non-profit society, suggest a $5 donation per person to help pay the gardeners and improve the gardens.
The Summerland Ornamental Gardens are located on Agriculture Canada land, in the same location as the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre :
4200 Highway #97, South
Summerland, British Columbia
Directions:
From Forgotten Hill Bed & Breakfast, head south, to Penticton. Past the Township 7 Winery, remain on the road continuing past the intersection with Upper Bench Road. After a sharp left turn at Munson Mountain, the road becomes Middle Bench Road. Follow Middle Bench for a short distance and turn right at Tupper Avenue which will take you to Lower Bench Road. Lower Bench will become Vancouver Avenue, and lead you into the older part of Penticton after the roundabout. Front Street will take you to the intersection with Main Street and after the light onto Westminster Avenue. At the end of Westminster Avenue, you’ll rejoin Highway 97. Turn right onto Highway 97, heading towards Summerland on the west side of Okanagan Lake. A five to eight minute drive will bring you to the south end of Summerland, to an area called Trout Creek that juts out into the lake. The Pacific Agri-Food Research Center is on your left, and the intersection is well marked.
Follow the road into the Research Centre, passing on the right, stay on the road. The Ornamental Gardens are at the end of the road.
What to see there:
There are a number of interesting parts to the Ornamental Gardens, but seem to be favourites of many visitors. The Xeriscape Plaza and Garden, feature native plants of the south Okanagan; allowing visitors to meander and appreciate many of the unusual flora that can be seen throughout the region, including the land that surrounds Forgotten Hill.
The Rose garden is a classic, and is at its best in June. That same period also offers Irises, Lilies, Poppies, Mock Orange and Snow-in-Summer.
A picnic area is part of the Gardens, and allows enjoying some good food while surrounded by flowers.