Busy enough enjoying the sunshine and various gardens coming into bloom beyond just the early bulbs. The growing season flashes by if you don't take the time to notice it. A metaphor for life, I suppose. I remember when a schoolyear felt so long and we had little photocopied calendars we were instructed to cross the days off on, to learn to tell the current date. Now we measure time in semesters, several-year programs, or decades. I'm not morose about feeling older, just noticing. To everything there is a season; snowdrops, crocus, hyacinth, narcissus, daffodils, and now the tulips are fading. The plum and cherry blossoms came and went quickly this year, in my opinion.
I attended the annual plant sale at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. While it is staffed by volunteers and is a fantastic operation I'd support and promote, I still jump at the chance to skip admission fees. Blessed with a beautiful sunny day, the place was packed and by the time I got there the hardcore gardeners had picked over what I had been mildly considering shopping for - no worries, I can find them easily at other garden shops, I just like to explore odd varietals and browse what's offered - and the lineups for the checkout stand were so long I was not inclined to wait that long for a whimsical purchase. I did however speak with the volunteers that were very welcoming, eager, and informative. Listened to an urban beekeeper talk about his bees too. 
Breaking free from the crowds I spent a couple of hours wandering around the gardens. Rhododendrons, azaleas, and camillas were out, the colors mainly greens and purples. Lovely day for a picnic, if I hadn't already been full from breakfast.
Definitely a top-notch presentation and one of my favorite Vancouver attractions. The Van Dusen Gardens have a focus on education and the preservation of both biological specimens and the history and heritage associated with them, since many were donated as goodwill gifts from other countries.
Next up was a visit to the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park, a tiny jewel in southern Vancouver surrounded by neighbourhoods with houses and yards even! Easy enough to find following Cambie St, I instead meandered up Columbia St and found the Most Beautiful Block 1999-2001 - how else would you know about these things unless you stumbled upon them? Such discoveries are a pleasant surprise, complete with neighbourhood coffee shop The Mighty Oak that I'll venture out to sometime. Beautiful houses, no traffic. 
What used to be an old quarry for the railway is now well-manicured lawns and gardens with rolling pathways, topped with a tropical sanctuary in a geodesic dome. Many of the plants there I recognized as fairly common "indoor" plants; snakeplants, kalanchoe, orchids, and cacti. Some of the larger specimens include fig, papaya, coffee and a variety of palm trees. The greatest feature for me were the birds, a few also common and recognizable as pets such as the budgies, parrots, and macaws (who quite possibly were previously pets donated to the conservatory). The space itself is quite small and can be 'done' in an hour, and was quite busy on the day I visited.
Both the Van Dusen gardens and Bloedel Conservatory are situated near fine dining restaurants, Shaughnessy Restaurant and Seasons in the Park respectively. Both locations are popular spots for weddings, graduation parties, or any other cause for large gatherings and/or professional photos.
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