🌿 A Living Lab of Wonder

For Tahlia Vega, the UBC Botanical Garden is a place where science meets soul. “I really like how this garden isn’t just beautiful—it’s alive with purpose,” she says, as she steps beneath a canopy of Douglas firs. “Everything here grows because it belongs, not just because it looks good.”

She moves with ease, drawn to the contrast between formal plant beds and wild native species that spill naturally onto the trails. It’s less a curated walk and more a shared journey with the landscape.

🌸 Petals, Patterns, and Pure Joy

Tahlia lights up when she reaches the Alpine Garden, full of tiny blossoms and twisted stems from far-off mountains. “I’m so happy when I see something unusual,” she says, crouching down to take a closer look at a plant she’s never seen before. “It’s like a little secret the earth decided to tell you.”

She laughs easily, plucks leaves from her coat, and finds delight in how nature always feels unpredictably organized. “I love when beauty comes with a little wildness.”

🍃 Nature That Doesn’t Perform

As she wanders into the more shaded woodland trails, Tahlia’s voice softens. “What I like most here is that nothing is trying too hard,” she reflects. “It’s just growing—quietly, steadily, confidently.”

She finds a log to sit on, pats the spot beside her, and lets the silence fill in what words don’t need to say. A breeze brushes past. A crow calls in the distance. And for a moment, everything feels aligned.

💬 A Date That Grows Naturally

Tahlia recommends UBC Botanical Garden for dates that don’t need an agenda. “It’s for people who want to talk when they feel like talking,” she says. “Not because they feel like they have to fill the air.”

She enjoys walking side-by-side without pressure, stopping for little moments—a wild strawberry patch, a sunbeam through the trees, the perfect spot for a quiet photo. “If we both notice the same flower,” she adds, “we’ve already said something meaningful.”

🌳 A Gentle Exit, and Something You Keep

As the path leads back to the entrance and the sounds of the city begin to return, Tahlia smiles, a bit slower now. “I always leave here with something I didn’t arrive with,” she says. “And I really like how it never tells you exactly what that is.”