By Morgan Dumas and Diti Dumas
The city of Toronto is known for many things, including its unique variety of historic gardens located all across the city.
1.Spadina Museum: Historic House and Gardens is located at 285 Spadina Road and includes four generations of wealthy Toronto families. This estate not only exhibits a beautifully landscaped home, but also a look into history, household economy and the aesthetic preferences of the 1800s-1900s. Not only can visitors explore the estate’s Victorian-Edwardian Garden, but also the changing exhibits, artifacts and furnishings indoors. Ticket prices range from $3.80-$7.60 depending on the age of attendee and time of year. Some of the highly anticipated events at the Museum include: Strawberry Festival, Open Doors Toronto, Music in the Orchard and Edwardian Christmas. For more information or hours and admission fees please visit: www.toronto.ca/culture/museums/spadina.htm
2.Colborne Lodge is located in the heart of High Park. This picturesque rare cottage is a wonderful testament and monument to John and Jemima Howard, who founded High Park. John Howard was one of the first architects in Toronto as well as a engineer and surveyor for the city. He built the Colborne Lodge in 1837. When visiting the Lodge you will see many of the original furnishings, artifacts and some of John Howard’s own watercolors illustrating images of a young Toronto. Admission to the grounds and lodge range between $2.62-$5.71 depending on the age of attendee and time of year. Some of the highly anticipated events at the Lodge include: Harvest Festival, Easter Celebrations and Summer Camp. For more information please visit: www.toronto.ca/culture/museums/colborne-lodge.htm
3.Edwards Gardens is located at 775 and 777 Lawrence Avenue E at Leslie Avenue. This former estate gardens features a breath-taking collection of perennials, roses, wildflowers and an extensive collection of rocks in the valley. Edwards Gardens is open from morning till night every day of the year allowing visitors to visit whenever their heart desires. It is also an ideal location to pose for family or wedding portraits. For more information please visit: www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca/tours/tbgedwardsgardens.htm
4.The Gardens of Casa Loma located on the grounds of the famous Casa Loma are a treat in themselves. There is always something new and different for visitors to experience. The garden hosts a wide array of perennials and spring wildflowers as well as many artistic displays of bright coloured annuals, flowering shrubs and trees. The Casa Loma Gardens are open from 9:30-4:00pm daily from May to the end of October. The only catch is you have to purchase a general admission to Casa Loma to have the opportunity to view the gardens. However, this is just an added bonus since the Castle is just as spectacular as its grounds. For more information please visit: www.casaloma.org/Gardens/
5.Allan Gardens is located in the heart of Toronto, on the south side of Carleton St. between Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets. The Allan Gardens Conservatory is almost 100 years old and features six greenhouses holding over 16,000 sq. feet of seasonal plants in all shades of colours. Some of these plants even include tropical plants such as Palm trees and Cacti. The garden also includes seasonal plantings throughout the year and between mid-January and March the spring bulbs are shown. Since 2000 the city of Toronto has been working with its community to revitalize these exceptional gardens. For more information visit: www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/allangdns.htm
Diti Dumas is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage R.E.S. Ltd./JOHNSTON & DANIEL DIVISION, Brokerage. Diti is a regular contributor to the Muddy York Blog. Diti’s website is located at www.ditidumas.com.
Morgan Dumas is an aspiring writer and journalism student from Ryerson University in Toronto.
