Many larger parks throughout Toronto feature a range of natural, ecological and ornamental areas.
Edwards Gardens features perennials and roses on the uplands and wildflowers, rhododendrons and an extensive rockery in the valley. The property was originally owned by Alexander Milne, who wanted to see the gardens become a public park. In 1955, the City purchased the property and has since maintained the beauty and original character of this unique landscape.
The main entrance for park visitors is located just south of Lawrence Avenue East on Leslie Street. The parking lot is a paid, enforced location under the management of the Toronto Botanical Gardens.
This is the main hub of Edwards Gardens where people gather and meet. Large events and festivals take place in this location. This is where the main annual beds and tropical planters are located.
From June to October, this garden features a variety of banana plants and other tropical plants.
Edwards Gardens pavilion is a wood and stone structure commissioned by the Metropolitan Toronto Parks and Recreation Department of Moriyama and Teshima Architects and completed in 1963. The pavilion has the same features of Modern architecture that defined North York as a city. Japanese wood craftsmanship is used in the design and details of the big, hipped roof of the pavilion and it is a reminder of the Canadian Japanese identity that was being established in the post-war era.
The fountain is a favourite spot for taking wedding photos. It is also a popular location for wedding ceremonies. The fountain was installed in 1970.
Each spring, 10 to 12 cherry trees blossom west of the fountain area.
Numerous bridges link the property from east to west. The main bridge offers a view of the natural waterfall. This is a main rest spot for visitors.
For two to four weeks in May, rhododendron blooms.
Space managed by Toronto Botanical Gardens in partnership with the City of Toronto.
This south trail links to Wilket Creek Park and Sunnybrook Park.
This family cemetery is on a hill overlooking Wilket Creek.
The monuments record three generations of the Milne family, the original owners of the site where the park sits.
Edwards Gardens is also home to buildings and gardens managed by Toronto Botanical Gardens.
Visit High Park's garden section for complete details.
James Gardens is known for its formal gardens, stone pathways, natural spring-fed pools, streams and mature trees. It is close to the Humber River and next to Ecologically Significant Lambton Woods. Visitors may see many unique species of migrating birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and other local wildlife.
Located at the main entrance to James Gardens parking lot, this garden is a showcase of colourful seasonal displays.
From May to October, this is a showcase of succulent and cacti plants, like Agave and Pencil cactus.
This garden was designed to attract local pollinator species by supporting entire life cycles with larval host plants, nesting sites and food sources. It uses organic land care maintenance practices. Keep an eye out for butterflies, hummingbirds and many types of bees.
Terraced rockery offers four seasons of interest, from delicate toad lilies to mature weeping purple beech.
A formal, triangular layout and wall garden bed with large wooden obelisks and vine-supporting arbours.
A large lawn extending to the upper rockery with a mature collection of evergreens, hellebores and a giant Dawn Redwood tree.
The garden’s signature gazebo is surrounded by perennial, shrub and annual flower displays.
Follow a series of paths and bridges over naturally spring-fed ponds and streams where you can see resident frogs, turtles or crayfish. The area has mature trees and mixed plantings.
The streams lead to the largest pond, visited by ducks and home of the bronze turtle.
The Show Gardens have seasonal displays and mixed perennial beds designed to provide a photo-worthy experience all summer.
Situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs, the Guild Park and Gardens includes woods, waterfront, formal gardens and a unique collection of public art and architectural fragments. The park is both a significant cultural heritage landscape and a significant natural heritage resource.
Situated along Guildwood Parkway, the entrance to the guild features seasonal ornamental floral displays featuring spring bulbs, summer tropical flowers and fall kale in decorative urns.
Situated along Guildwood Parkway, the entrance features ornamental floral displays in planters.
Following the Battle of Vimy Ridge in World War I, a Canadian soldier brought home a special souvenir – a handful of acorns on what he named Vimy Oaks Farm. The pair of trees were grown from cuttings of the original trees.
Feature native plants indigenous to a moist hemlock forest.
Originally used as a workshop, the sculptor’s cabin now features native plants and flowers attractive to pollinating insects.
A three-season (spring, summer and fall) planter with flowering plants.
A boxwood hedge with spring-flowering rhododendrons, accompanied by summer-flowering varieties of hydrangeas and perennials.
A combination of native and ornamental plants accompanied by woodland shrubs to recreate a symphonic experience.
This garden bed pays tribute to the royal visit by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in May of 1967. Seasonal displays of flowering plants join a large, regal White Pine with rhododendrons and azalea.
A boulder bed is a corner garden. The park’s boulder bed has long blooming hydrangeas from summer to fall, a Japanese Maple and a mix of annual border and flowering shrubs throughout.
A glimpse into Toronto’s past with columns encasing the oldest art piece on site, inspired by the works of Ovid; the sculpture of Musidora, dating back to 1875. The three-season (spring, summer and fall) annual display in the front complements the art and is surrounded in the back by native, pollinating plants, rhododendrons and ornamental plants.
Formal plantings complement European Panel Beds, featuring flowering shrubs, pollinator-supporting flowering plants, perennials and other species that can thrive in this microclimate.
A three-season (spring, summer and fall) display of low-growing, high-impact horticulture that preserves the integrity of the Swan Sculpture, the keystone-bombed north arch of the Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly, London.
Arbours reveal manicured Beech trees and a Golden Chain Tree with formal plantings of flowering shrubs, perennials and grasses to complement the North Panel Beds.
The red brick and stone gates preserve the original capitals of the building, built in 1890.
The white columns and arches are from the Bank of Toronto building, built in 1914. The theatre opened in 1982 and is used for live performances.
Near the naturalized area, this perennial bed has indigenous plants that support local pollinators.
Near a mature forest is a mixed bed of flowering shrubs and perennials.
A formal garden bed dedicated to local pollinators, this garden displays Spicebushes, the host plant of the magnificent Spicebush swallowtail butterfly. The garden also has Ontario’s only perennial cactus, the Eastern Prickly Pear, and a selection of native flowers and grasses.
A native planted formal garden next to the Mantle Bed displaying a collection of trees, shrubs and perennials native to this region.
A naturalized backdrop to the forested area.
Native wildflowers and meadows support the mature forest.
All-season planters add contrast to the Clarke Centre building.
Six kilometres of forested, floral and cultural trails where art, sculpture, habitat and floristic gardens are displayed alongside views of Lake Ontario and the bluffs.
Many spaces in parks are stewarded by community volunteers, organizations and the City of Toronto.
The City has initiated a long-term Guild Park and Gardens Management Plan for future park uses, trails, horticultural elements and preservation of the natural and cultural heritage features.
For indoor bookings within the banquet hall facility, visit the Guild Inn Estate.
Take the ferry to Toronto Island Park or visit Toronto Island Park's garden section for complete details.