We went February 1. The upside: there’s no one there, and your entrance fee is discounted. Downside: there’s nothing to see. Well, maybe not nothing. But there were zero flowers. None. Not even a clump of winter pansies.

The Japanese Garden is the best under these conditions, as it doesn’t depend on blossoms to be aesthetically pleasing. But all the other gardens were duller than dry toast.

The best part was tea – during the off season, you can get an entrance ticket plus afternoon tea for the same price as tea at some place fancy like the Empress Hotel. And the tea is just as good, certainly enough to be a full lunch, and in a very relaxing and elegant setting.

Another tip: it is easy to get to on the #75 bus from downtown. You do not have to take an expensive or fancy tour bus to get there.