The City of Quebec botanical garden was founded by the man after whom it is named: Roger-Van den Hende. It was purely a teaching garden in the early years but now it's a public garden with a water garden, a rose garden, an ericacetum, a pergola, a composting site, a herbacetum, an annual evaluation site, tree and Floral screen and modern sculptures. The garden serves as a practical laboratory for students and researchers at Universite Laval and also has a public education vocation. It features nearly 4000 species and cultivars arranged by botanical family, with a unique collection of plants native to Quebec and ornamental plants introduced from Europe, America and Asia. Roger-Van den Hende Botanical Garden was offically opened in 1978.