This historic garden created in 1913 is a tribute to one man's passion for plants and beauty. William Roland Reader was the Superintendent for Calgary Parks from 1913 – 1942 who transformed a bare hillside into an internationally-acclaimed garden.

Reader Rock Garden was historically used as accompanying gardens for the private residence of Calgary's Superintendent of Parks and Cemeteries. The house was constructed in 1912, and the garden's creation began one year later.

During the turn of the century, it was common for horticulturists to collect alpine plants on their travels and create gardens as living artifacts of their journeys. Reader actively engaged in this practice and for thirty years the Garden trialed over 4000 different plant species, making it one of the few significant gardens in western Canada. 

Both Reader and his plant collection were known internationally, and the quality of the plants and seeds were recognized by the most prestigious horticultural agencies in the world. While the garden was essentially completed by the end of the 1920s, Reader continued collecting and experimenting with plant material until his death in 1943. One year later, the garden was named in his honour and opened to the public as a City park. Though the garden underwent periods of neglect and revival between 1950 and 1990, both they and the superintendent's cottage were restored and re-opened to the public in 2006.

Lovingly rehabilitated according to Reader's original plans, the garden blooms from mid-March to mid-November. The reconstructed Arts and Crafts style house features a café and classroom space for educational programs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Visit Friends of Reader Rock Garden Society for more information.

Layout of the original gardens

Reader's famous garden had five main areas:

• The west garden featured two constructed pools, a stream, a small bridge and a bog garden.
• The high rockery was structured around stone pathways and retaining walls, and the flower beds were filled with numerous varieties of alpine plants, flowering perennials, shrubs and ornamental trees.
• The garden by the house offered a small gazebo and was surrounded by perennial beds.
• The south slope separated the house from the cemetery and contained an abundance of trees, shrubs and shade-loving perennials.
• The western slope was the final section to be developed and was an extension of the high rockery.