Plants have a complex maturation process that sometimes means leaving the home meadow, heading to the big forest, and moonlighting as a hotel-lobby decoration to make ends meet. View a more sheltered variety of shrub with today’s Groupon to Nitobe Memorial Garden, part of the UBC Botanical Garden at the University of British Columbia's Point Grey campus on Lower Mall. Choose between the following options:

• For $6, you get two adult admissions (a $13.44 value).
For $7, you get a family pass (a $16.80 value).

Nitobe Memorial Garden grants guests a serene stroll through meticulously manicured grounds that boast a reflecting pond, streams and waterfalls, and a traditional Japanese tea house. A slew of cherry and maple trees, azaleas, and irises populates the premises. Visitors can perch on park benches, traipse across log bridges, and engage in shadow-puppet debates before symbol-laden lanterns. Additionally, greenery enthusiasts who meander through the Nitobe Memorial Garden during summer months can partake in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony ($10) inside the tea house. The unique structure is designed explicitly for tea gatherings, unlike most houses, which are designed to elude cutlery salesmen. Tea ceremonies are held once a month, and reservations are strongly recommended.