The top 8 public gardens in the GTA that you should see

We have big plans for our best-ever Garden Days Canada during Canada’s Year of the Garden.

Garden Days Canada is an annual event that takes place this year from June 11 to 19. It’s a great reason to visit your nearest public garden — or seek solitude in a private garden of your own.

After two years of sticking close to home, we are encouraging Canadians to get out safely and enjoy some of our great public gardens and horticulture attractions. Our Garden Days day trip recommendations:

Through the Garden Gate, June 11 and 12: Canada’s largest tour of private gardens is back in support of the Toronto Botanical Garden. This year’s tour is Wychwood, a historic Toronto neighbourhood of arts and crafts architecture. Visit this well-gardened enclave in the heart of the city to see for yourself. Tickets at torontobotanicalgarden.ca, under “events.”

Toronto Botanical Garden: This one-of-a-kind, free public garden is year round. New executive director Stephanie Jutila joins the TBG from Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. With the TBG’s planned expansion from four to 35 acres, we are excited to see what Stephanie Jutila has in store. torontobotanicalgarden.ca/

Toronto Music Garden: Mark’s favourite public garden in the city. Free to enjoy, located on the waterfront, on Queens Quay W. at the bottom of Spadina Ave. Renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma contributed to the design, and the garden-park is often the site of live classical music performances. Go to toronto.ca/explore-enjoy

Centennial Park Conservatory: Originally opened in 1970, Centennial Park in the northwest corner of the city offers a larger greenhouse and grounds. Enjoy the main greenhouse’s display of tropical plants and explore the south wing “arid house” collection of succulents and cacti. Bring the kids to enjoy BMX trails and Frisbee golf in the surrounding park. toronto.ca/explore-enjoy

Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens: In Mississauga, on the shores of Lake Ontario, this is one of Canada’s largest public rhododendron gardens and well worth a visit. The azaleas and rhododendrons planted among perennials, white pine and shrubs peak between May and June. Info at mississauga.ca/events-and-attractions, under “parks.”

Whistling Gardens: Canada’s newest botanical garden with an established feel. Just outside Brantford in Wilsonville, Ont., Whistling Gardens is home to North America’s largest peony collection with over 1,200 specimens now blooming. Their conifer collection which is also considered to be the largest in North America. whistlinggardens.ca/

Bellevue House: in Kingston, Ont., it will give you a historical perspective of gardening in Canada. Originally Sir John A. Macdonald’s home in the 1840s, Bellevue today remains a working garden staffed by gardeners in period dress who educate visitors on organic gardening from a time before “organic” was even a term. Heirloom vegetable varieties, traditional apple selections, and historical flowering gardens are all worth the drive. pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/bellevue

Stratford, Ontario. The town is a Communities in Bloom national award-winning community. Explore 15 km of trails connecting Lake Victoria to the formal Shakespearean Garden, a Japanese Garden, arboretum park and back to the very picturesque downtown, to name just a few of the local garden hot spots.

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